Broken
by triplehhholic
Summary: She was stuck in an abusive relationship until his friendship offered her hope and a way out....and maybe even a chance at happiness in her future......HHH/Steph fic.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Stephanie held the facecloth under the cold water and immediately noticed her hands were trembling violently. She quickly turned off the tap and pushing back the lump in her throat, she glanced up as she wrung the wet cotton material. She caught her reflection in the mirror. The angry red welt on her cheek was a stark contrast to the paleness of her skin. Pressing the cool cloth against the mark, she bit down on the corner of her lip in an attempt to stop the tears. Crying would only anger him further and that was the last thing she wanted to do.

Hearing the movement in the room next door, Stephanie squeezed her eyes shut. She felt her heart ache knowing it hadn't always been like this. There had been a time not so long ago when their lives had seemed practically perfect. They had married over a year ago after meeting at the office. Jonathan was a successful corporate lawyer who handled quite a few legal affairs for the Word Wrestling Federation. She had been an intern learning the ropes and working alongside her father. In fact, that was how they had met. She had sat in on a few of the negotiations between Jonathan and the board. At the end of one particular meeting, he had approached her and asked her for a drink. She had said yes and that drink had led to another date which had led to marriage less than one year later. They had been blissfully happy or at least they had been for the first ten months or so.

The first time he struck her had been after a dinner they had attended for one of Jonathan's partners. Everything had seemed fine. She had spent a lot of time talking to Richard, another partner of the firm. She hadn't thought her husband minded. After all, he was in deep discussions with two of the men at the end of the table and had barely noticed her all night. But she had obviously been mistaken to think that way which had been blatantly apparent when they had gotten home that night. Jonathan had thrown her against the wall and holding her by the throat, he asked her if she was screwing Richard behind his back. She had been in total shock and had only managed to shake her head to deny it. He must have seen the terror in her eyes because he quickly let her go and apologised profusely promising her he would never touch her again. But he had on several occasions whenever he felt she had "stepped out of line". Tonight had been the worst beating so far. She had made the mistake of forgetting to tell Jonathan she would be late home that night. She had attended the birthday celebration for one of her father's secretaries, Janet. When she had returned home a little after nine, her husband had been waiting for her. His hard eyes had been filled with fury and without even waiting for any sort of explanation he had lashed out striking her across the face.

"Stephanie, aren't you coming to bed?"

She winced at the sound of his controlling voice through the locked wooden door. The thought of being anywhere near him turned her stomach but she knew what would happen if she stayed in the bathroom any longer. She stood up slowly and placed the cloth on top of the basin. She then let out a calming breath pushing back her sorrow as she walked through to the bedroom.

Jonathan was already in bed. His piercing green eyes watched her as she pulled back the covers and got in beside him. She avoided his gaze as she leant across to switch off the small lamp but he immediately reached out to stop her.

"Leave it on."

She tried not to scream as his fingers lightly grazed over her skin. His touch physically repulsed her knowing what was coming but she knew better than to refuse his advances. His eyes fell upon her face and for a brief moment, she thought she could see a trace of remorse. But it was gone as quickly as it had appeared and she was sure she had only imagined it.

"You know I don't want to hurt you, don't you?"

She blinked back the fresh tears that threatened to fall as she nodded her head knowing that agreeing with her husband was the only way to survive.

"But I have to do it, Stephanie. I have to make you see that I come first in your life. You belong to me."

She squeezed her eyes shut as his lips descended on hers. His hand reached under her satin nightdress making her skin crawl.

"Tell me you love me." he demanded.

Stephanie knew better than to refuse him and hissed between her teeth feeling her stomach lurch as his fingers invaded her wet heat. "I love you."

As his mouth crashed against hers, she felt the tears burn behind her eyelids. But she was determined not to let him beat her; he wasn't going to make her cry. Instead she did what she needed to do to get through this. Stephanie let her mind drift back to a time when she had been happy. A time when their love had been so strong and true that she thought no-one or nothing could touch them. And a time when she hadn't woken up every morning wondering what had happened to her life and how the hell it had come to this.

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"Well I hope Daddy's little girl appreciates everything you've done for her."

Paul rolled his eyes hearing the venom in his girlfriend's voice as she continued with her rant about Stephanie. God knows it seemed to be her favourite past time today although he didn't understand why. Okay, he'd had to make the script revisions on his own but why did she have to make it out to be such a big deal? Stephanie wouldn't have asked him to do it if she hadn't been sick and unable to work on them herself.

But as per usual Joanie just wanted something to bitch about and it was no surprise that her bitching was directed at Stephanie. She had developed this huge chip on her shoulder about their storyline together and quite frankly, he was getting sick and tired of it. And the ironic thing was Joanie had been the one who had encouraged him to do the storyline in the first place. She had told him it had been his big chance to get to the top. To prove to himself and everyone else that Paul Levesque could carry the business that he loved so passionately. And so far, he felt proud knowing he had succeeded doing just that. Everything was going really well. Ratings were good and Vince seemed to be more than happy with how things had panned out.

But of course, he couldn't take all the credit for that. Stephanie had played a huge part in their success and had really come into her own the last month or so. It had been a nice surprise because he would be the first to admit that he had been more than a little dubious about entering into this storyline with her. After all, back then he had known absolutely nothing about her apart from the fact she was Vince McMahon's daughter. They had barely exchanged pleasantries in the hallway in the last few years that he had been with the company. But over the last couple of months they had worked together closely and he had been more than impressed by Stephanie. She was keen and enthusiastic and worked extremely hard, probably harder than anyone backstage with the exception of Vince himself. It was also nice to be alongside someone who loved the business every bit as much as he did and was so passionate about everything. He had been surprised to find that he really enjoyed working with her and showing her the ropes.

"I'm surprised she hasn't clicked her fingers and summoned you to her dressing room by now."

Paul looked up to see Joanie standing with her hands on her hips with her scowl only emphasising her obvious pissed off expression. He sighed as he pushed back his hair with his hands and frowned at her.

"Stop being such a bitch, Joan. Steph and I work with one another. You know we have to spend a lot of time together."

"Yeah but not every single minute of every god damn day! You spend so much time with her I hardly even see you any more."

"That's not true and you know it."

"Do I?"

Joanie sighed sadly and sat down beside him on the bench, their shoulders brushing together as she nudged closer to him. But no matter how close she got, she knew it couldn't stop this huge space she could feel growing between them. She and Paul were drifting apart and it was all thanks to the little princess and their damn storyline together. Paul was completely oblivious of course. He always was. He just couldn't see what all the late night meetings and phone calls were doing to their relationship. Or maybe he did see and he honestly didn't care any more. After all, he was so wrapped up in the WWF that he was probably quite happy to be spending every hour of every day working. His career was like an obsession to him; an obsession that slowly was taking over his life leaving room for little else, including her. She could feel him slipping away and she felt powerless to stop it. She wasn't a priority to him, not any more.

As Joanie glanced across the room, Paul saw the sad expression on her face and felt a pang of guilt in his chest. His lips rolled together in silent contemplation knowing that although he had denied it, they did to spend more time together. He knew he had neglected her the last couple of days but it hadn't been intentional on his part. It was just that he had been so busy revising the script that he had very little time for anything else. But he would have to make it up to her especially if he didn't want the cold shoulder the next couple of days. He just couldn't handle the tension between them and he never could.

Letting his lips curve up gently, Paul reached across and squeezed her leg affectionately. "Look, how about I take you to dinner after the show? We can spend some time together then."

Joanie's brow furrowed as her eyes glared back at him. "And are you sure the princess won't have other plans?"

He tried to ignore her biting tone as he did his best to smooth things over between them.

"I'll cancel them if she does." he told her.

Joanie nodded her head. She seemed satisfied, well at least for now. Paul kissed her briefly before standing up and picking up the script from the table.

"I'd better go and try to catch up with Stephanie before the production meeting starts. I'll need to run over the changes I made to the script."

As Paul gathered his things together, he deliberately ignored his girlfriend's scowl as he turned round and left the dressing room. He certainly wasn't hanging around for yet another argument and God knows they'd had enough of those the last few weeks.

As the door clicked shut behind him, Paul's head was bowed but it lifted as he heard the sound of her familiar laughter. Stephanie was down the bottom end of the corridor talking to her father. He began to walk towards them absently flicking the pages of the scripts in his hand.

"Paul! We were just talking about you." Vince smiled as he approached and affectionately slapped him on the back. "Steph was telling me you're looking forward to your match at the Rumble."

"Yeah." he beamed back enthusiastically. "I reckon if we pull this off, Foley and I are going to make history on a whole lot of levels."

Stephanie shook her head at the huge grin plastered on Paul's face as he discussed the match with her father. His eyes were bright and animated. Only Paul could get so enthusiastic at the thought of getting battered and bloody at the hands of some barbed wire. The guy was totally nuts when it came to wrestling and reminded of her of an excited big kid every time he talked about his matches.

"Well, I'll leave the pair of you to it. I'll see you at the meeting in an hour."

Vince waved farewell and made his way towards the group of wrestlers standing by the curtain. Stephanie's blue eyes followed him until the sound of Paul's voice got her attention.

"So, you don't look very ill. I'm thinking you used being sick as an excuse to take the weekend off."

His brown eyes twinkled back at her as he grinned at her mischievously. She shook her head and smiled at him.

"I might have known I wouldn't get any sympathy out of you."

Paul chuckled and she tried to ignore the guilt she felt at leaving him in the lurch the way that she did. After all, it had been her idea to fly out a day early and work on the script yesterday. But there was no way she could have made it. Not with the yellow bruising still evident on her cheek. It would have raised far too many questions, questions she was just far too ashamed to face. She just thanked God the bruise had faded considerably over the last forty eight hours because there was no way she could have missed the show and thanks to the wonders of makeup, no-one would ever suspect the truth.

"So I made quite a few changes to the script. I thought we could go over them before the meeting."

"Sure." she nodded. "But only if it involves coffee and a muffin."

"Of course. Because God help us all if the princess doesn't get her caffeine." Paul winked at her as he took her by the arm and led her down the corridor, her heels clicking rhythmically against the concrete floor.

"You know, you're lucky I like working with you, Levesque otherwise you'd be jobbing to the likes of Test and Albert."

"Yeah well it is threats like that that will get you into trouble."

Stephanie snorted and nudged him playfully as they entered the catering area. "And how exactly would you plan to do that?"

"We have to kiss tonight, Steph. If you don't watch your step, I might slip you the tongue."

She heard him snicker to himself as he grabbed a bottle of water. Stephanie shook her head. She could always rely on him to lower the tone of the conversation. She poured herself a coffee and as she looked up, she saw Paul already had her usual banana muffin in his hand. She smiled to herself as she followed him back to the table.

"So, we've got three backstage scenes tonight as well as the match. Most of the changes I've made are in the last one."

As Paul flicked through the pages of the script, she smiled to herself and for the first time in four days, she felt a huge weight being lifted from her shoulders. A sense of freedom she hadn't been able to find sitting at home. She had felt stifled and alone. She was so glad she had flown out today. Work was providing a welcome distraction and she was able to forget the fear and the pain if only for a little while. Of course she knew all too soon Wednesday would come and the harsh reality of her life would come crashing down. But until then she would try and maintain the pretence that everything was fine. She had to. She simply had no other choice.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Stephanie grinned as they walked up the ramp and made their way backstage. She could still feel the adrenaline rushing through her veins as she followed Paul to their dressing room. She always got such a buzz accompanying him to the ring and watching him wrestle. There was no doubt he had an amazing talent and his match with Rocky tonight had been off the charts. Both guys had given it their all and taken a few hard bumps, Paul especially. The chair shot inflicted on him had looked particularly brutal.

"That was an awesome match tonight, huh?"

Paul's proud wide eyed expression told her she wasn't the only one who had gotten a buzz from being out there. His grin practically stretched from ear to ear as he adjusted the damp white towel draped around his neck.

"It wasn't bad" Stephanie smirked as she pushed open the door to their dressing room.

"Wasn't bad? Are you crazy? Steph, it was unbelievable. Did you see Rocky's face when I nailed him with that ring bell? He's going to have a sore one tomorrow." Paul chuckled as he pulled off his elbow pads throwing them on the sofa.

"And so are you. Paul. Are you sure you're okay?" she asked as her brow crinkled with her concern. "I mean he did whack you hard with that chair."

Paul glanced across at her and his brown eyes softened when he saw the concerned expression on her face. He reached across and ruffled her curled hair affectionately. "Awww, is my little wife worried about me?"

"Yes, although right now you don't deserve such concern." Stephanie retorted, sticking out her tongue as she flung herself down on the sofa. She picked up one of his elbow pads and threw it in his direction, smiling in satisfaction as it hit him on the chest.

"Hey, there's no need for that. I thought you were concerned about me."

"Eh, it passed. Anyway, you know the rules about keeping the place tidy."

"Christ, Steph. You sound worse than my mother." He picked up the pad and a mischievous smirk lit up his face as gripped it loosely in his fingers. "Although I must admit, I do find your scolding tone quite sexy."

Paul immediately burst out laughing as the other pad flew at him, this time hitting him on the head.

"Go and get a shower, Levesque. You're stinking up the joint."

"Care to scrub my back?" he said wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"And have Joanie walk in on us? No thanks. I want to live."

Stephanie heard him chuckle in response as he grabbed his towel and made his way through to the shower cubicle. She smiled back in spite of herself. She had gotten used to Paul's flirtatious banter and had to admit, she found it quite amusing. Although she was sure his big oaf of a girlfriend wouldn't be too impressed if she could hear him. She never could understand how a sweet guy like Paul put up with the likes of Joanie. She was a selfish, moody bitch who constantly treated her boyfriend like shit. She didn't like Joanie Laurer one little bit and she knew the feeling was entirely mutual.

But all thoughts of Joanie left her mind as the sound of her phone ringing startled her. Stephanie reached across and grabbed it from her bag and her face fell the second she saw his name scrolled across it. Jonathan. She was briefly tempted not to answer the call but knew it would mean incurring his wrath later on. As her heart pounded in her chest, she let out a slow, calming breath before answering.

"Hello?"

"I saw the show. What the fuck do you think you are doing humiliating me like that?"

Stephanie immediately squeezed her eyes shut and pushed back the lump that had formed in her throat. Her husband was furious and he had been drinking. She could tell by the way he was slurring his words together.

"I don't know what you mean, Jonathan."

"That kiss! That kiss between you and that bastard, Helmsley. The whole world saw my wife kissing another man. How do you think that makes me feel?"

Stephanie felt her own anger bubble to the surface but she pressed her lips together tightly as she tried to stay in control. Shouting at him would only make things worse. Instead she tried to reason with him.

"It's scripted. You know it doesn't mean anything."

"The fuck I do. You're screwing him aren't you? The pair of you are laughing at me behind my back!"

"No! Nothing is going on between me and Paul. I swear to you."

"Why do you do this to me, Stephanie? Why do you make me get angry with you?"

His menacing tone rang in her ear and Stephanie felt an all too familiar fear creep into her heart; a fear she felt every single time Jonathan lost his temper with her.

"I-I don't mean to." she whispered. She bowed her head, her hair hiding her face from view as she bit down on her bottom lip trying desperately to hold back the sobs she could feel building in her chest.

"I'll deal with you when you get home. And you'd better come home, Stephanie. Don't make things any worse than they have to be."

The dial tone signalled the end of Jonathan's call and as the phone dangled between her fingertips, Stephanie's shoulders began to shake with her frightened breaths and tears that she no longer had the strength to stop. Not now. Not when she knew exactly what her husband's threats entailed when she got home. She bent over, her hair falling across her face as her stomach clutched with fear.

As Stephanie sobbed softly in the dressing room, she didn't hear the movement in the adjoining bathroom and was completely unaware that Paul had finished his shower quicker than usual. He was running late and he knew Joanie would be waiting for him. God knows the last thing he wanted to do was piss her off especially after the mood she had been in earlier. Vince had completely shot down her idea to win the Intercontinental title at the Royal Rumble and Joanie had been absolutely furious. He had just been grateful and relieved that his backstage scenes with Stephanie were getting shot straight after the meeting so he had been saved from one of her feminist tirades. But he knew it had only delayed the inevitable. It was only a matter of time before she started to chew his ear off tonight.

Sighing, Paul walked out of the bathroom. His damp blonde strands hung around his shoulders and a droplet of water trickled down his chest. His unbuttoned denim jeans sat loosely on his hips. He was just about to ask Stephanie if she had seen his shirt lying around anywhere when he heard the choked sob that echoed in the silent room. His brown eyes widened with concern when he saw Stephanie hunched over on the sofa obviously crying. He immediately dropped his bag to the floor and rushed over to her.

"Stephanie, what is it? What's happened?"

The cushions dipped underneath his weight as he reached for her trembling body. He pulled Stephanie to him and her head dropped into the crook of his neck as her arm slid around him, grasping him tightly as he comforted her. His big hand rubbed her back soothingly as he waited patiently for her tears to pass. All he could think about was what had happened to her and what had made her so upset. Stephanie had been perfectly happy when he had left her just five minutes ago so something must have gone down while he was in the bathroom.

But Paul didn't have the chance to dwell on it any further as the dressing room door swung open and Joanie stormed into the room. Her face flickered with her rage when she spotted him and Stephanie together and Paul knew exactly what she was thinking. It wouldn't be the first time she had accused him of putting the moves on Stephanie and this whole scenario was only adding fuel to the fire. But right now, he was too pissed off to care or even attempt to explain the situation. Instead he glared at her, annoyed at her blatant rudeness.

"You could have knocked!"

"What? And given you time to cover your tracks?"

He rolled his eyes in disbelief at her accusation. "Would you just shut the hell up, Joanie. Stephanie's upset! Can't you see that!"

Paul felt Stephanie's body fall still against him but she made no attempt to leave his arms and his hand absently rubbed her shoulder.

"Well I don't see why you've got to be the one to pick up the pieces." retorted Joanie.

Paul sighed wearily and shook his head. "You know if that's your attitude, you can just leave. I'm not in the mood for another argument Joan and God knows that's all you seem to want to do lately. I'm sick and tired of it."

"But what about dinner?" she asked as her eyes widened in surprise.

"I think I just lost my appetite!" he told her bluntly.

Joanie glared at him hatefully for a few seconds before the door slammed loudly behind her. Paul sighed as he rolled his lips together knowing his life would be hell once he got back to their hotel room tonight. But he could deal with that later. Right now, he needed to find out what was wrong with Stephanie.

As he slowly pulled away, he felt Stephanie lift her head from his neck. Her face was streaked with her tears and he instinctively lifted his hand to wipe the smudged mascara from under her eyes.

"I-I'm sorry, Paul. I didn't mean to cause trouble between you and Joanie." she apologised shakily.

Paul shook his head, smiling at her tenderly. "Don't worry about it. It's nothing I can't handle."

Stephanie sniffed and nodded but inside she felt incredibly guilty knowing she had caused their argument and had done absolutely nothing to stop it. But what could she have done? And besides, it wasn't her place to interfere. She probably would have only made things between them a whole lot worse anyway.

"So, do you feel like talking about what made you so upset?"

Stephanie smiled and shook her head as her hand wiped at her wet cheeks. "Not really, no."

She sniffed and let out a long, shaky breath.

"Honestly, I just want to get out of here."

Paul nodded his head and covered her hand with his. He squeezed it gently knowing her enough by now to sense not to push it. If Stephanie wanted to talk, she would do it when she was good and ready.

"Give me a couple of seconds to finish getting dressed and I'll come back to the hotel with you." he offered.

Stephanie nodded her head as she watched him stand up and pick up his bag. She was so grateful Paul knew when to back off and hadn't tried to pressure her into telling him the reason for her tears. She could never admit the truth anyway and she didn't want to lie to him. Their friendship meant far too much to her to knowingly deceive him.

As she stood up from the sofa, she realised Paul was ready and he threw on his jacket and smiled over at her.

"You ready to go?"

"Sure."

Stephanie picked up her purse and coat and followed Paul out the door and the arena. She heard him jangle his keys as they walked out into the parking lot.

"God knows which one is mine. I should really remember where I park the damn thing."

Stephanie shook her head as she took the keys from him. It wasn't the first time she'd had to bail him out. She pressed the button and saw the lights flash on the car three rows away.

"There. I do believe that one is yours."

Paul grinned as she dropped the keys in his outstretched hand. "I didn't realise my wife was so smart."

"There are lots of things your wife can do that I bet you don't know about."

"Oh yeah?" he snickered and his brown eyes twinkled back at her as she playfully nudged him. He nudged her back and grinned. "So, is ordering room service one of those things?"

Stephanie smiled as she got into the car. "I think my talents stretch to dialling reception, yeah."

"Good. Then you can show me when we get to your hotel room."

Paul winked at her as he started up the car.

"And what makes you so sure you're invited to my hotel room?"

"I'm not. But I'm hoping you'll take pity on me and stow me away until Joanie calms down."

"I think I can do that." she agreed.

Paul smiled at her gratefully before turning his attention back to the road. Stephanie smiled as she absently glanced out the window and caught the passing bright lights of the city. She realised was looking forward to Paul's company tonight because the truth was she was scared to be alone. Being alone gave her too much time to think; time to think about her abusive husband and about her life and what would await her once she was home again…………


	3. Chapter 3

_Thanks again for your all encouraging replies guys. It means a lot and I hope you enjoy this next chapter._

Chapter 3

Paul heard the door slam loudly upstairs. He rolled his eyes knowing she would probably up there for the rest of the night and right now, he didn't really care. For two days straight Joanie had been giving him the silent treatment and had barely even looked in his direction. It made him question his sanity for even coming back home with her. The next couple of days obviously weren't going to be any better. In fact, he had a feeling things could only get worse.

Paul sighed as he threw himself down on the sofa and rested his head back against the cushions. His hand raked wearily through his hair. He was getting really sick and tired of her constant shit. All Joanie seemed to do lately was bitch and moan at him. It was really starting to piss him off and it was little wonder he had decided to stay with Stephanie on Monday night. There was no way he had been going back to Joanie knowing what he would be letting himself in for. And when he eventually had gone back to their hotel room, the crazy woman had thrown her shoe at him. It had taken everything he had not to retaliate and throw it right back at her. Instead he had stood there listening to her vile diatribe about how he had been spending the entire night sticking his dick in the princess. He had let her rant on for a minute or two before shouting back at her and telling her to shut the fuck up. For once she had paid attention to something he had said and had been ignoring him ever since.

Paul lay there chewing his lip contemplatively in the blissful silence. He just didn't know where it had all gone so wrong. He and Joanie had been happy together once upon a time. In fact, it wasn't so long ago he had thought about settling down. He did love her and it had seemed like the next logical step in their relationship. But he had never bought the ring and it wasn't long afterwards that he had been informed he was getting the title. He had taken that as a sign that it maybe wasn't the right time for them. And now, he wasn't sure there would ever be a right time. Joanie had really changed the past couple of months. She had become a spiteful and bitter woman, a far cry from the person he had fallen in love with. He just didn't know what her problem was. Although that statement probably wasn't strictly true. It was no coincidence that things between them had deteriorated ever since his storyline with Stephanie had started.

Honestly, he had never dreamt he would become friends with Vince McMahon's daughter but that was what had happened. There was just something there that clicked between them, some sort of connection. In fact, a few of the guys, even Vince, had commented on it. So it was no surprise that Joanie had noticed it too and it was even less of a surprise that she was unhappy about it. She had never had much time for Stephanie McMahon but she had even less now. And from what he could make out, the feeling was mutual. Stephanie hadn't said much to him but he got the impression she didn't have much time for his girlfriend. But it really didn't bother him if that was the case. He was there to work with her not discuss his personal life and he guessed Stephanie had the same attitude. She very seldom mentioned her husband, Jonathan. At times she even seemed reluctant to talk about him at all.

But all thoughts of Stephanie and her husband were quickly disrupted as a loud clatter made him jump, slightly startled. It had come from the top of the stairs. He rolled his eyes dryly knowing exactly what she was doing. It had happened a million times before. Joanie would deliberately make some noise in a bid to get his attention. She was obviously sick of the silence but little did she know he was starting to enjoy it. He was sick and tired of her petty little games and her complaining, whiny voice.

Hearing another slam through the ceiling above him, Paul pushed himself off the sofa, grabbing his coat on the way out the door. He needed to get out of here and more importantly he needed to get away from Joanie. And maybe by the time he came back, she would finally get the message that he wasn't going to tolerate her games any more.

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Stephanie shivered slightly as she brought her knees closer to her chest. The pain radiating throughout her body was so intense that she couldn't stop her tears from slipping down her cheeks. The beating Jonathan had given her had been the worst it had ever been.

He had been waiting for her when she had arrived home. She had barely made it through the door when his hand had shot out, slapping her hard across the cheek. The force had sent her backwards and she had fallen to the wooden floor. The front door had still been open and when she had gathered her senses, she had tried to run and make an escape but it had been in vain. Jonathan had grabbed her hair and pulling it by the roots, he had dragged her to the living room. He hadn't even let go when he had thrown her on the chair and forced her to watch the television screen. It had been the segment from Monday night where she had kissed Paul. Her husband's voice had been laced with rage as he called her a fucking whore. He had then yanked her to her feet, pulling her with him. Before she even knew what was happening, he had thrown her to the floor and kicked her in the stomach. Instinctively she had curled into a ball, holding her head in her hands as Jonathan kicked her yet again. She wasn't sure how many times his boot connected with her body. Maybe three or perhaps it was four. The pain had been excruciating and despite her need to cry, she held back the tears. She had learned from experience that crying only angered him more. Finally he had stopped and had grabbed her hair yet again, pulling her to her feet and dragging her upstairs.

She had been shocked when he had thrown her in the closet. He had never done that to her before. His eyes were filled with fury as he told her she belonged to him not some disgusting low-life wrestler. He locked the door behind him telling her she would stay in there until she learned her lesson.

Stephanie sniffed as she fought back her tears. She didn't know how long she had been in here. The minutes seemed like hours in the darkness. She had never felt so scared or so alone in her entire life.

Being locked away in here had given her too much time to think. She still couldn't figure out how the hell she had gotten here. How did Stephanie McMahon, university graduate and successful business woman, become a victim? She couldn't believe she had ended up in an abusive marriage and not only that, she had allowed it to happen. She should have left Jonathan the first time it had happened. But she had been stupid enough to believe him when he had apologised and promised it would never happen again. She had even believed his lies when he had told her he would get help after the third beating. But he never did and now any remorse Jonathan had was zero. He never apologised any more for his actions. Instead he would blame her, telling her she had made him do it and that her whoring ways were her own downfall. With every beating, her husband took away little pieces of her dignity and her pride. Her shame at being a victim guaranteed her silence.

Just then Stephanie gasped as she heard the lock turn in the door. She screwed her eyes tightly as the light from the hallway blinded her. She opened them gradually letting them adjust to the glare. Jonathan stood ominously in the doorway.

"Why do you make me do this, Stephanie? I love you. The last thing I want to do is hurt you."

His voice was soft and gentle, a stark contrast to the mad man she had encountered earlier. But she knew he didn't mean any of it. It was all part of his attempt to manipulate her.

"I-I don't know." Stephanie forced the words out but she knew agreeing with him was the only way unless she wanted another beating.

"Get up."

She pulled herself slowly to her feet. She winced at the pain that shot through her body. She tried hard not to flinch as his hand came out to touch her face. His thumb lightly grazed her skin.

"Tell me how sorry you are."

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." she whispered softly.

Jonathan's hand trailed down her throat and chest until it rested on her breast. His voice was menacing as his thumb roughly flicked across her nipple. "Saying sorry isn't good enough, Stephanie. You need to show me how sorry you are."

He roughly pushed her to the back wall of the closet. His breathing was heavy as he pushed down his pyjama pants.

"You're going to make it up to me, aren't you baby?"

Stephanie closed her eyes as she nodded her head. A tear slipped between her eye lashes and rolled down her cheek. If her husband noticed, he didn't care. He pushed her up the wall and as his lips pressed hard against hers, Stephanie let her mind slip away to another place, another time. It was the only way she could survive. Jonathan might be able to control her body but he couldn't control her mind.

As her husband's hand pushed up her skirt, she squeezed her eyes shut and tried to remember Monday. Monday she had been with Paul. She could picture him laughing when he had been in the dressing room. She couldn't recall why but the reason why didn't matter. All that mattered was the sound of his laughter. It helped control her tears and she drifted off, seeking her sanctuary. And for that brief moment, Stephanie was able to forget her pain.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Paul's brow furrowed in surprise as he threw down his gym bag in the small, airy dressing room. It had been obviously been unoccupied all day which meant Stephanie wasn't here yet even though it was getting horribly late. He had been running behind himself after getting caught in a traffic accident. He had barely made it here by the skin of his teeth and if Stephanie didn't hurry up, she would be late for the production meeting and no doubt catch it in the neck from Vince. Because being daddy's little girl did her no favours when it came to the WWF. If anything, her family tie made her father come down even harder on her whenever he felt it necessary. But one thing about Stephanie was she took it all in her stride. She just got on with the job and very seldom complained about it. It was actually one of the things he admired about her. Nothing seemed to wear her down and her positive attitude was a breath of fresh air backstage.

Just then the door was flung open and Stephanie hurried through, her brown hair flying out behind her as she scurried towards him. She smiled a greeting as she dropped her laptop, folders and leather bag on the table and pushed back her hair with her black rimmed spectacles.

"God, I thought I'd never make it. There was a traffic jam just outside the airport." Stephanie explained as she picked up one folder and began to rummage through it. She smiled triumphantly as she found what she was looking for and handed the papers over to Paul.

"You might want to have a quick read over this in the meeting. I had a few ideas over the weekend."

She didn't tell him the reason why she had been so creative but being locked in a bedroom for the better part of Saturday had given her plenty of time to think. And her eager blue eyes watched Paul's face as he flicked through the script, the pages littered with her familiar scrawl.

"A few ideas?" he eventually retorted. "Steph, you've practically rewritten the whole damn thing."

He paused as his finger tapped against the page.

"I see you've crossed out a kiss here."

His brown eyes twinkled as he glanced up to smirk in her direction.

"You know I was only joking when I threatened to slip you the tongue, right?"

"Yeah well I had to make sure."

Paul's low chuckle made Stephanie smile despite her sorrow. See, crossing out that kiss had been self-preservation on her part. The less she had to antagonise Jonathan with, the better. The last thing she wanted was to make him angry. God knows she had suffered his wrath enough over the weekend.

"Paul, the meeting is starting now."

Stephanie jumped slightly startled by the sound of the voice behind her. Both she and Paul turned in unison to see Joanie standing in the doorway with a hesitant smile that was obviously forced on her part. It was no secret that the Ninth Wonder was less than impressed with her storyline with Paul especially when it meant her boyfriend spending his time with someone else.

"Okay. I'll catch you there." Paul replied.

Joanie had opened her mouth to say something else but the look in his eyes made her stop. Instead she nodded back and left the room.

Paul looked away and was silent as he absently played with the script in his hand. His thumb flipped the pages back and forth unaware that Stephanie was watching him closely. His reaction to Joanie had definitely been bordering on frosty and it was obvious something had happened between them. No doubt it was probably related to Monday night when Paul had stayed over in her room and slept on the couch. He had used the excuse of it being late. It had been a little after two by the time they had eaten and talked but she knew that the late hour wasn't the reason he had been reluctant to go back to his own room. The truth was Paul probably hadn't wanted to face Joanie and quite frankly, she couldn't blame him. She had seen the brute lash out at Paul on more than one occasion and the bitch had quite the vicious tongue on her. Paul didn't deserve that kind of behaviour and he didn't deserve to feel so unhappy.

Stephanie reached out and touched his shoulder to get his attention. If he wanted to talk, then she was there for him. She cared a lot about Paul and he was fast becoming a very close friend.

"Hey, is everything okay?" she asked him.

Paul watched her for a second before the left hand side of his mouth curved into a lopsided smile and his brown eyes crinkled in the corners.

"Not really. And I'd tell you all about it but I'd only depress myself." he joked as he pushed back his blonde strands with his big hand. "Now come on. I'd better get my wife to this meeting before her daddy kicks her ass."

Stephanie rolled her eyes and chuckled as she picked up her planner and papers for the meeting. She smiled gratefully as Paul held out his hand to take them from her and she handed them to him as she retrieved her leather hand bag.

When they eventually got to the meeting, they were one of the last ones there. The room was full and Paul sighed with relief as he saw Joanie sitting between Glen and Andrew. At least he had a legitimate excuse not to sit next to her and offering her a brief smile of acknowledgement, he grabbed an empty seat at the end of the table. Stephanie took the one opposite him and he passed her folders over to her.

A few seconds later Vince entered the room closing the door behind him. "Good. You're all here."

He then deliberately glanced in his daughter's direction and Paul couldn't help but smirk to himself. It looked like Stephanie would definitely feel the extent of Daddy's wrath later on this afternoon. One thing he didn't tolerate was tardiness and he should know. He'd been on the receiving end of that wrath a good few times himself.

Paul glanced across the table and catching Stephanie's eye, he drew his finger along his throat and grinned before turning his attention back to Vince. As the chairman continued to drone on, Paul felt her eyes watching him from the opposite end of the table. He shifted in his seat uncomfortably and intentionally avoided her gaze. He was still pissed with her and although he and Joanie had talked, things were far from fine between them.

When he had finally returned that night, he had finally spoken up and told her a few home truths. He had told her that basically he was totally sick of her shit and it needed to stop. And if it didn't stop, they were over. It was as simple as that. Of course she had protested at first but those protests had turned to tears as she had realised he was serious. He had never issued her with an ultimatum before much less one as serious as ending their relationship. And quite honestly, he wasn't sure if that was what he wanted. He loved her and when she wasn't being a spiteful bitch, they got along great together but those times were slowly becoming few and far between. His girlfriend had a real stick up her ass when it came to his storyline with Steph but she had to realise it was his job. He was only doing what he was asked to do by Vince and the rest of the creative team. Enjoying the storyline was an unexpected bonus just like his friendship with Stephanie. Joanie would just have to get used to it. He wasn't bowing down to her insecurities and bitterness no matter how much she whined and complained.

Sighing softly, Paul tucked his hair behind his ear and turned his attention to the script in front of him. He picked up his pen and absently began to doodle with it as he zoned out Vince who was muttering on about something or other. Reading through the pages, he couldn't help but smile to himself. Christ, Stephanie really had rewritten the whole damn thing. Just for that, he'd force her to run lines with him this afternoon.

"Paul, what do you think?"

Vince's voice boomed across the table. Paul looked up and swallowed hard feeling everyone's eyes watching him. Shit. He didn't have a clue what the hell Vince was talking about. How the fuck was he going to bluff his way through this?

"Paul had a great idea for that run-in with Foley, didn't you Paul?" Stephanie said as she turned to smile at him from across the table.

She flipped him a wink and Paul smiled back gratefully. It looked like his "wife" had just bailed him out of trouble and with relief, he turned to Vince and began to explain his idea. Thankfully he was smiling and nodding his head throughout his whole spiel. He hadn't even noticed that his WWF champ had been ignoring him for the better part of the meeting. Although it looked like Stephanie had. No doubt she'd make some comment to him about it sooner or later. He swore she enjoyed winding him up too much.

Thankfully Vince appeared more than pleased when he finished talking.

"That's fine by me. Make sure you and Stephanie add that chair shot to the script. Now, if no-one else has anything they wish to bring up, I think that's the meeting finished."

Paul blew out a relieved breath as he pushed back his chair. It screeched as it moved across the concrete floor and he picked up the script and pen from the table before he walked across to Stephanie. She was sorting papers in her folder and he tapped her shoulder to get her attention.

"So, what's the going rate for saving your husband's ass around here?"

She beamed back as she picked the folders up and held them out to Paul. "You can carry these back to the dressing room for me."

"That sounds easy enough." he said, gripping them in his hands.

"Ah but you didn't let me finish."

She smirked at him as they walked towards the door.

"You can carry those for me while I decide where it is you're taking me for lunch."

Paul snorted and was about to reply when Joanie appeared beside them. Her strong perfume lingered in the air and he smiled at her, trying to stay calm and patient with her. "What is it, Joan?"

"I thought we could grab some lunch together."

Stephanie winced feeling incredibly guilty. She never thought that Paul and Joanie would have already made plans to eat. She was about to step in and tell Paul they would take a rain check but he got in before her.

"Sorry but I can't make it. We need to go over some stuff for the show tonight."

Stephanie expected Joanie to protest but she didn't. Instead she nodded and slowly backed off.

"I guess I'll just see you later." she told him sadly.

There was something in her voice that made Paul feel guilty. After all, she was his girlfriend. It wasn't wrong for her to expect them to spend some time together. He called out to her, stopping her in her tracks.

"Hey Joanie, I'll catch you after the show, okay? We can grab something to eat then."

Joanie nodded and smiled before leaving the room.

Paul and Stephanie left right behind her and headed towards their dressing room.

"So, have you decided where it is you want me to take you?" Paul asked shifting the folders to his other arm. His other hand pressed against Stephanie's back as he guided her through the group of wrestlers in the hallway. He felt her flinch and swore she hissed through her teeth at his touch. He quickly took his hand away and followed her into the dressing room, panicking.

"God Steph, I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?"

His question raised her alarm and Stephanie tried to remain calm as she placed her bag down on the table. She hadn't meant to react the way she did but his touch had been totally unexpected. Unbeknownst to Paul, his hand had been resting on the exact spot where Jonathan had kicked her. It was still bruised and extremely tender to touch. Of course, she couldn't tell Paul the truth. She was far too ashamed for that. Instead her husband's beatings would remain her secret; her shameful secret.

Forcing a smile on her face, Stephanie turned round to face him. She tried not to feel guilty by the concerned expression on his face.

"Of course you didn't." she lied. "I'm fine, honestly."

Paul's nose wrinkled curiously as he placed the folders down on the sofa. He wasn't sure if he believed that she really was fine. Her reaction when he had touched her had been anything but.

"Are you sure? You seemed to be in a lot of pain."

Stephanie nodded her head and tried to lighten the mood by reaching up and playfully ruffling his hair. "But it's nice to see my husband so worried about me. Maybe that means he'll treat me to a nice three course lunch."

"Three courses?" Paul snorted in disbelief. "Jesus Christ, Steph. I need to be able to move around tonight."

"You're so dramatic, Levesque. Besides, it's only a run-in. Surely an old guy like yourself can manage that?"

Paul shook his head and picked up his leather coat from the chair, pretending to scowl at her. "You know something, McMahon? You're too mouthy for your own good. You're lucky I don't come over there and smack your ass."

He smirked at her as he turned round and slid his massive arms through the sleeves of the coat and he failed to notice Stephanie sneaking behind him as he flicked his hair over the collar. He jumped startled as he felt her hand slap him hard across his backside.

"What the…………?"

Paul spun round and saw her giggling behind the chair. He playfully pointed his finger as he slowly approached her.

"You'd better watch it. I could get you done for sexual harassment, you know."

Stephanie snorted. "Oh please! I hardly touched you."

"You are joking me, right? Steph, my ass is stinging."

She burst out laughing and Paul shook his head as he backed her into the chair.

"It's not funny, you know. You've probably left a mark."

"I have not."

"You have too. I'll pull down my jeans and prove it."

Stephanie pulled a face and quickly shook her head. "Can you at least wait until

we've eaten until you flash your ass in my direction? I don't want to spoil my lunch."

"Why you………….!"

Paul reached out and began to tickle her sides. He jumped back alarmed as her giggles turned to a scream of pain.

"Shit Steph! I'm sorry."

His brown eyes surveyed her frantically. Stephanie was bent over holding her side and he swore he felt like the biggest asshole in the world as he saw the tears shining in her eyes. Paul immediately wrapped his arms around her shoulders and hugged her, careful not to touch her where it obviously hurt, badly.

"I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you." he said, softly.

Stephanie sniffed as she brought her face away from his chest. She felt horrible when she saw the look of devastation on his face. She had to tell him something, anything that let him know it wasn't his fault. Paul honestly thought he had hurt her and she could tell by the tone of his voice that he felt really badly about it. It wasn't fair on him. She had to put his mind at rest and Stephanie reached up and placed her hand on the collar of his leather coat.

"You didn't hurt me Paul. I swear."

His confused brown eyes stared back at her. "Are you sure? You sounded in a lot of pain, Steph."

Stephanie sighed as she absently played with the ends of his hair before stepping away. She hated herself for lying to him but she had no other choice. She couldn't let anyone know the truth about her injury so instead, she blurted out the first excuse that came into her head. "I fell down the stairs at home."

Paul's mouth parted in shock. "Holy shit! Are you okay?"

Stephanie nodded quickly to reassure him. "I'm fine apart from a couple of bruises around my abdomen but I'll live."

"But you did get checked out by a doctor, right?"

Stephanie waved him off as she crossed the room and grabbed her purse from the table. "Nah. Like I said, I'm fine."

"But you could have a cracked rib or something. You could be seriously hurt. Didn't Jonathan make you get it checked out?"

Stephanie swallowed hard at the mention of her husband's name, feeling physically sick to her stomach. "He wasn't there. He was away on a business trip."

She smiled brightly deciding she needed to get Paul to change the subject and fast. She hated lying to him and he was asking too many damn questions. She grabbed his arm and tugged on it.

"Come on, Paul. I thought you were taking me to lunch."

He followed on behind her, his brow furrowed with concern. "I am."

"Good. Because at the rate you're going, it will be time for dinner."

Stephanie turned round and noticed him dwindling behind her. She grabbed his arm and hooked her own through it.

"Come on now. Don't make me have to smack you across the ass again." she said, grinning mischievously at him.

Paul couldn't help himself. He grinned back. "I don't know, Steph. I kinda liked it."

"Now why doesn't that surprise me?"

"Because you know you liked it too."

He snorted with laughter as her cheeks with flushed with heat.

"Just admit it. You know it's the truth. You couldn't resist the urge to get your hands on me."

"Well, we are married. I have a legal entitlement, you know." Stephanie smirked at him as they walked out into the car park.

"Well if that's the case, you could put more than your hands on me, if you catch my drift."

Paul wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively and laughed as she dragged him towards her rental car. But despite their lightheartedness, he hadn't forgotten Stephanie's pain or his concern for his friend. And he was concerned. Probably more so now he knew she was hiding something from him. And she was hiding something because he wasn't stupid. He knew Stephanie well enough now to know when she telling the truth. And she hadn't been telling him the truth when she had told him her husband was away on business. Her eyes had shifted around nervously and she had been unable to look him straight in the eye. And her evasiveness had raised a lot of questions, the main on being whether her fall down the stairs was the truth or just another lie to keep him at bay. One thing was for sure. There was something going on and he was determined to find out what it was. In the meantime, he would just need to keep a closer eye on her. He cared for Stephanie and hated the thought of her being in any sort of trouble. And if his instincts were right, she was in trouble. He just prayed to God it was nothing serious.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Stephanie smiled as the car pulled up in front of the hotel and grabbing her purse, she thanked the driver as he opened the door. She breathed in the fresh air as she stepped onto the side walk and was filled with a sense of freedom as she made her way towards the grand red brick building. It was like this giant weight had been lifted from her shoulders now that Jonathan had been called away on business. Although he had planned to accompany her to the pay per view this weekend, a last minute hitch with a major client had ensured his absence and Stephanie had to admit she felt relieved. She had been dreading him accompanying her on this trip. Every beating was taking its toll on her and it was becoming so hard to keep up the pretence that everything was normal between them, especially around her parents. But she no longer had to worry on that score, well at least not for the next four days. Her husband was a thousand miles away and she was determined not to give him another moment's thought.

Flicking her hair over her shoulder and pushing Jonathan from her mind, Stephanie wheeled her suitcase into the lobby and checked in at the reception desk. She was waiting patiently on the elevator when she heard his familiar deep tone causing a slow, surprised smile to cross her face.

"You sure don't travel lightly, do you Princess?"

She turned round lightly shaking her head. Paul was standing with his hands in his jeans pockets, smirking widely at her as his brown eyes twinkled with his amusement.

"You do know we're only here for a couple of days, don't you?"

"Yes I do, smartass" she replied.

The elevator doors opened and she tugged on the handle of her large suitcase before stopping as she felt his hand on her arm. Stephanie smiled gratefully as he took the case and stepped into the elevator beside her.

"Thank you." she offered.

Paul smiled in acknowledgment as the doors closed over. "You're welcome toots." he said, brushing his hair behind his ear as he leant back against the wall.

"I must admit I didn't expect to see you here." Stephanie said. "I thought I was on my own tonight."

Paul gave her a small smile as he watched the small square buttons light up in front of him. He hadn't expected to see her here either. In fact, he hadn't expected to see anyone. He just hoped Stephanie didn't ask a lot of questions as to why he had arrived a day early. He wasn't in the mood to answer them so he decided to play it safe and quickly change the subject.

"What floor are you on?"

"The top one of course."

She laughed as he rolled his eyes.

"Only the best for daddy's little girl, huh?"

The elevator doors opened and Stephanie followed Paul along the corridor. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm not a little girl anymore."

As she swiped her key card to open the door, Paul leant against the doorframe and deliberately let his eyes wander up her body as she turned to face him. He smirked as he let them trail slowly up her long shapely legs.

"Oh trust me. I've noticed."

"You're a pig, Levesque." she shot back, pretending to scowl at him.

But despite her retort, Stephanie was smiling as she walked into her suite, used to Paul's flirtatious nature. It was totally harmless plus it actually added to his charm. Not that she would admit that to him. Paul certainly didn't lack in the self-confidence department and his head was big enough. She looked round the room as she heard him whistle appreciatively.

"This is nice, very nice indeed."

He dumped her suitcase on the floor and walked through the living room area. He opened the door to the adjoining bedroom admiring the huge king size bed and tasteful décor.

"You know, I hope you realise that while you're living it up in here, your poor husband is sleeping in squalor three floors down."

Stephanie smiled as she followed him into the room. "Oh, I think he'll survive. My hubby is a pretty tough guy."

She shook her head in amusement as she watched him sit on the bed and bounce up and down on the mattress.

"Paul, what are you doing?"

He grinned mischievously at her. "I'm just testing it out." He patted the sheets beside him and winked. "Care to join me?"

"No. I do not."

She tried to keep her facial expression straight as she sat down on the chair opposite the bed. Paul shook his head and sighed loudly as he folded his arms in front of him, his muscles bulging against the sleeves of his tight, white t-shirt.

"You know there is a severe lack of action in our marriage. If I'd known about this beforehand, I'd have thought twice before marrying you."

"You mean you would have thought twice about drugging me first then marrying me."

Paul grinned. "Yeah, well that too."

He pushed himself off the bed and stood up, raking his big hand through his blonde strands.

"Well I guess I'd better give you some peace. Let you get settled in."

"You don't have to, you know." Stephanie told him as she got up from the chair and smoothed down her denim skirt. "My plans for the night only include room service and relaxing with a good bottle of wine. You're more than welcome to join me if you like."

Paul's mouth curved up gently at the invitation suddenly feeling glad of her company and grateful at the thought of not spending the evening alone in the stifling four walls his hotel room.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "I wouldn't want to intrude."

Stephanie reached out and touched his arm. "Paul, you're my friend. Of course I want you to stay." She smiled at him and began to remove her black wool jacket. "You don't mind if I take a shower first though, do you?"

Paul shook his head, pressing his lips together. "Absolutely not. I can check out the menu while you're in there."

He began to make his way to the adjoining sitting room but stopped in his tracks and he quickly turned back round.

"Unless you want me to help scrub that back of yours." he offered, wiggling his eyebrows at her suggestively.

Stephanie patted his shoulder as she gently guided him back towards the door. "Nice try but I'll manage."

"Damn it!"

She chuckled at his mumbled protest as she closed the door behind her. Humming a few bars of a favourite tune, she removed her clothes and made her way to the shower. Half an hour later she had freshened up and was just hanging up the phone after ordering room service.

"Dinner is on its way." she announced as she crossed the spacious room.

Paul nodded at her and smiled, absently thinking it had been a nice surprise to see Stephanie standing in the hotel lobby. And she had been alone too which was unusual in itself. Her husband usually accompanied her to all the pay per views. But he wasn't here and truthfully, Paul wasn't complaining. It was nice to spend some time with Stephanie outside of work. She was a lot of fun to be with and rapidly becoming one of his few really good friends.

"Are you sure I can't get you something other than water to drink?"

He quickly shook his head. "Water is fine. I have a match tomorrow night."

Stephanie chuckled as she threw him the bottle. "Sorry I forgot. The Game's body is a temple."

"And you can feel free to worship it any time." he winked at her as he unscrewed the cap and took a drink.

Stephanie laughed and shook her head as she sat down beside him on the sofa, curling her legs underneath her as she picked up her glass of wine from the table. "You know those lines are really cheesy. Do they actually work?"

"Of course they do!" Paul snorted, pretending to look offended as he placed his water down. "The women fall at my feet every time."

"They do, huh?"

"Yeah, they do. I'll have you know there is not one woman alive that I couldn't charm with a pick-up line."

"Try me." Stephanie said, swallowing her wine.

"What?"

"Try one of those lines on me. Let's see if I can resist the Game's charms." she grinned.

"Okay. You asked for it." Paul rubbed his palms together as he shifted his body round on the sofa. He took her free hand and held it loosely in his as his mouth lifted in a playful smirk. "If I were a flashlight, would you turn me on?"

"Good God, Paul. That's awful."

"How about there's a party in my pants and you're invited."

Stephanie snorted. "Worse."

"Okay, okay." He cleared his throat and licked his lips. "I hope you know CPR because you've taken my breath away."

A smile crossed Stephanie's face in spite of herself and Paul took the chance to continue.

"Did the sun come out or did you just smile at me?"

She bit down on her lip trying to conceal her smile.

"Can I get directions to your heart because I think I just got lost in your eyes."

"My God!" she snorted, rolling her eyes.

"Did it hurt?"

Stephanie looked confused as she screwed up her nose. "When?"

"When you fell from heaven."

The words lingered in the air as they both looked at one another for a silent second before bursting into laughter. Stephanie put down her wine glass as her hand slipped from his and she wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Pretty bad, huh?"

"God Paul, they were awful. You sounded like a horny teenager desperate to get laid."

Her hearty laughter filled the room and Paul smiled as he found himself in a silent moment just taking her in. Honestly, he couldn't help but be struck by how beautiful she looked. Sure, he had admired Stephanie plenty of times in the past but there was just something about her tonight. Her skin glowed and her eyes sparkled prettily. Her hair fell in loose soft curls across her shoulders. She possessed this rare natural beauty that could easily overwhelm him if he gave it the chance and swallowing thickly, he found himself dwelling on that thought.

However, a moment later a loud knock on the door startled him knocking him from his trancelike haze and he watched as Stephanie jumped up from the sofa.

"Thank God! I'm starving." she commented as she made her way to the door.

Her words quickly brought him back to reality and Paul quickly cleared his throat as he pushed back his hair. Shifting on the cushions, he mentally told himself to get a grip. Eyeing up the boss's daughter was definitely not a good idea. Not if he wanted to live because there was no doubt in his mind that Joanie would fucking kill him with both hands.

"Paul, would you answer that please?"

His brow wrinkled in brief confusion until the loud shrill of the telephone caught his attention. He hadn't even heard it ring. His arm reached across the back of the sofa as he picked it up.

"Hello?"

He heard someone mutter unintelligibly at the other end of the line before they spoke.

"Sorry. Reception must have put me through to the wrong room. I was looking for Room 727."

"Hold on a sec." Paul told him as he placed his hand over the receiver not even sure what room he was actually in. "Steph, what's your room number?"

"727."

He brought the phone back to his ear. "You've got the right room buddy. This is 727."

He heard nothing but slow, deep breaths at the other end. He frowned impatiently.

"Look, are you wanting to talk to the lady or not?"

"Yes. I want to speak to my wife."

Paul grimaced apologetically at the icy reply. "Sorry Jonathan. I didn't recognise your voice. Hold on."

He didn't look up as he held out the phone towards Stephanie's direction. "It's for you. It's Jonathan."

He heard her soft gasp and he looked up, momentarily alarmed.

"Are you okay?"

Stephanie forced a smile and quickly nodded to assure him. "The plate was hot. Listen, would you mind if I take this in the bedroom?"

"Sure. I'll hang up when you answer."

She nodded and made her way to the bedroom, her heart hammering madly in her chest as she closed the door quietly behind her. She let out a shaky breath wondering why Jonathan had called. She hadn't been expecting it but then again, it was typical he had. He must have tried her at home and when he got no reply, put two and two together and realised she was here. He hadn't even called her cell although that was typical too. He always claimed she could be anywhere doing anything and he would be none the wiser. That was why he had called the hotel room instead. God, she should have answered the phone herself. She hadn't been thinking when she had asked Paul to take the call. Jonathan was going to be absolutely livid at the fact he was there.

As Stephanie reached for the phone, she saw her hand tremble. She clutched her fingers together for a second as she tried to remain calm before quickly picking up the receiver. "Hello?"

She heard the click. Paul had hung up. She waited with baited breath for Jonathan to reply. His deep breathing echoed down the line and she closed her eyes as she awaited his inevitable onslaught.

"You thought I wouldn't find out you'd left early, didn't you?"

Her body lightly shivered at the chilled, controlled tone of his voice and she licked her dry lips before replying.

"I have work to do Jonathan. I needed to fly out early."

Although truth be told, she had just wanted to get as far away from home as possible. She had felt trapped there and she was beginning to hate that house. It was filled with memories. Memories she was desperate to forget.

"Don't treat me like I'm fucking stupid." Jonathan spat down the line making her jump slightly. "The two of you arranged this together. You're screwing Helmsley, aren't you?"

"No Jonathan. I swear. There is nothing going on between us." she protested.

"Then why is he in your fucking room, Stephanie? Answer me!"

Her husband's voice bellowed down the phone. She knew explaining was pointless. He wasn't going to listen to her, not when he was so angry. But her silence would only antagonise him further. She sniffed back her tears as she tried her best to pacify him.

"We were running over the script for tomorrow, that's all." she said.

"And you honestly expect me to believe that?"

"It's the truth" she replied, knowing she was lying to him but she really didn't care. She needed to do it. God knows what would await her if she didn't.

"Don't fucking lie to me, Stephanie. I'm not a fool. I've seen you together. Your hands are all over one another and on national fucking television at that. You've made me a laughing stock to everyone. My own wife has made me a fucking joke. Well, I'm not standing for it any longer. When I get home, things are going to change. Do you understand me? Do you?!"

"Yes." she whispered blinking back the hot tears that now rolled down her face. They were tears of total frustration because trying to reason with her husband was a waste of time. He just didn't want to know.

"You're going to regret fucking me around. You're my wife, Stephanie and by God, I'm going to show you how to act like one."

The dial tone rang loudly in her ear as Jonathan ended the call. She hung up the phone in a daze and wandered slowly over to the neatly made bed before throwing herself down on the covers and sobbing uncontrollably. God, her life was such a mess. How had it come to this? How could Jonathan be the same man that less than six months ago had lavished love and attention on her? He had been so thoughtful and considerate back then. He had literally swept her off her feet but now that had all changed. The man she had once loved with all her heart had become someone she despised. But she couldn't see a way out of this. Not now and maybe not ever.

God knows she was too ashamed to tell anyone. Her family were so proud of her. To them she had found the perfect guy. Jonathan was a man who they thought would take care of their daughter and provide the best of things for her. Little did they know she was living a nightmare; a nightmare that was slowly, but surely, killing her piece by piece.

As her body shook violently with her tears, Stephanie was unaware that Paul was standing outside the door listening to her cry. His face was etched with worry while inside his heart broke for her, her painful cries only cementing the thoughts that been flying through his mind lately. Because he just couldn't shake the feeling that something was going on with Jonathan, something really bad and something really serious. Stephanie hardly mentioned her husband to him. He knew she had lied about him being on a business trip last week. He wasn't with her this weekend like he normally would have been. And now his phone call had reduced his wife to tears. It didn't take Einstein to figure it all out or even a big dumb wrestler like himself.

Paul's hand hovered over the door knob as he tried to decide what to do for the best. Every part of him was desperate to comfort her. He hated hearing a woman cry like this. He just didn't know if it was his place to interfere. Although he and Stephanie were definitely getting closer, she was practically a stranger to him when it came to her personal life. He knew very little about it and Stephanie seemed to value her privacy. Much like he did. He very seldom discussed Joanie or his problems with her. He just didn't feel it was appropriate. After all, she was practically his boss and he felt uncomfortable talking about those sorts of things although lately, he had to admit she had become so much more to him. Stephanie had become a close friend, a friend that might just need someone to talk to.

His mind made up, Paul lifted his hand and knocked on the wooden door. He didn't get a reply but that didn't deter him. He opened the door and walked in, his heart melting at the sound of her tears as he approached the bed where she lay, curled up into a ball. He sat down and gently squeezed her shoulder as he tried to think of something – anything – that would appease her. He hated seeing her like this but the words wouldn't come. He just he didn't know what to say. Instead he tried to soothe her with his touch as his hand rubbed her back in gentle small circles.

It took a few moments but eventually Stephanie's sobs died down. Paul saw her lift her head and look at him. Her big blue eyes were so sad. Her bottom lip trembled as she tried to swallow back her sorrow.

"I-I'm s-sorry." she stammered as she sniffed.

Paul smiled gently as he reached out to brush stray strands of hair from her wet face, tenderly tucking them behind her ear. "Don't be silly, Steph. You've got nothing to apologise for."

He paused for a moment as she ducked her head away from him. His deep brown eyes were concerned.

"You know I'm here if you want to talk about it, right?"

The soft tone of his voice got to her and Stephanie bit down on her lip as her tears threatened to fall once more. Deep down, she wanted to tell him the truth. She knew she could confide in Paul and let him know him what she was going through. He would listen and he wouldn't judge her. God knows it was killing her having to hide this horrible secret day after day. But she was just too ashamed to say the words. So instead she pushed herself up off the bed and sat next to him. Her hand wiped at her wet cheeks as she lifted her swollen eyes to meet his. "Would you mind if I settled for a hug?"

"No." he smiled softly. "Of course not."

Paul instantly wrapped his arms around her, pulling close to him. His big hand rubbed her left arm slowly. Stephanie closed her eyes and rested her head against his chest feeling the warmth of his skin under the cotton material of his shirt. She instantly felt her body begin to relax, melting into the comfort of his embrace. For the first time in a long time she realised she actually felt safe being in someone's arms. God knows she never felt this way with Jonathan any more. All she felt was fear in his presence and letting out a whimper at that thought, her tears rolled down her face once more. She quickly buried her face into Paul's massive chest as her shoulders began to shake.

"Shhhh, Steph. It's okay. It's okay." he repeated almost helplessly as he felt her slide her arms around him and hold him tight. His hand moved to her back and he rubbed it again soothingly, silently pleading for her to open up and talk about whatever it was that was troubling her. Because he wanted to help her. It was just that he couldn't. Not when he didn't know what was wrong despite his own suspicions.

Sighing softly, Paul's hand continued to move up and down her back. His lips briefly grazed of her head when he glanced down. His brow instantly crinkled with his worried frown. Stephanie's jumper had ridden up her back exposing her skin and was horribly bruised around the top of her waistband. He guessed that had been from her fall down the stairs. Christ, she must have been in agony.

Unable to help his own curiosity, Paul deliberately moved his hand further up her back, lifting her jumper higher. His eyes flickered with his alarm as he saw even more bruising across her ribcage. Stephanie must have really taken a tumble. It was a week later but the bruising was still vast and dark.

Just then felt Stephanie move away. He quickly removed his hand and smiled.

"I'm sorry."

He shook his head as he reached across and wiped the smudge of mascara that encompassed the circle of her left eye. "I thought I told you not to apologise."

Stephanie nodded in acknowledgment as she let out a slow shaky breath. Her hand guiltily reached to wipe at the obvious stains on Paul's t-shirt. "Sorry about the makeup. I'll get it cleaned for you."

Paul scoffed in amusement. "I think I'll live."

He stopped her movement as he lifted her chin up with his finger. Her big eyes were red and puffy. She was obviously in a lot of pain and feeling the pull on his heart strings, he decided to try again. He wanted Stephanie to know she had someone she could turn to if she needed him. It felt important to him.

Paul gave her a small smile as he watched her carefully. "You know I'm always here for you, right?"

Stephanie slowly nodded her head in reply.

"And I know I have a tendency to talk a lot of crap sometimes but I can shut up and listen."

She found her mouth curling into a smile in spite of herself. "You surprise me." she teased.

"I'll ignore that comment, thank you very much."

Paul eye's twinkled with his smile as he removed his hand from her chin, rubbing her arm.

"But you know where I am if you ever do want to talk."

Stephanie nodded her head once more. "I know. And thank you, Paul. It means a lot."

She leant across and kissed him gently on the cheek before standing up, straightening out her jumper. She then held out her hand towards him.

"Come on. Our food is getting cold."

Paul nodded as he took her hand, following her through to the living room. His brown eyes continued to watch her, aware Stephanie obviously didn't want to talk right now but that was fine by him. He was incredibly patient. He could wait until she was ready and in the meantime, he would be keeping a close eye on her. He knew in his gut that there was something going on with her and his instincts told him that there was more to the situation with Jonathan than met the eye. But as much as he wanted to be right, he just prayed for Stephanie's sake that those instincts were horribly wrong.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Stephanie saw him sitting alone at the table in the far corner. It was his familiar long blonde hair she spotted first and she was found she was relieved to see him, not wanting to spend breakfast all on her own. She made her way across and smiling, she tapped him on the shoulder. "Fancy some company?"

Paul glanced up at her, his brown eyes sparkling with his own smile. "Sure. Take a seat."

He pushed his plate to the side and watched Stephanie as she took the chair across from him. As he sat back, he was pleased to see her looking happy and rested this morning. Although she had been in better spirits last night, he could tell she was still troubled and obviously had that phone call from Jonathan on her mind. But at least she had slept. It was damn sight more than he had been able to do. He hadn't been able to get Stephanie out of his mind and he had tossed and turned all night thinking about her. He had to admit he was genuinely worried about her.

Paul watched Stephanie carefully as she ordered her breakfast. When she was done, she shifted in her seat and beamed across the table at him.

"So how are you feeling this morning? Are you ready for your big match?"

"Of course." he replied, smirking back at her. "Foley and I are going to bring the house down."

"Of course you are. My hubby kicks ass!"

Paul grinned and winked at her as he took a sip of his coffee. Glancing absently over her shoulder, he noticed Vince striding towards them.

"Paul, Stephanie. Good morning."

"Good morning Daddy." smiled Stephanie as her father leant over, kissing her cheek.

Paul nodded his greeting as he swallowed his drink.

"I'm really looking forward to your match tonight, Paul. Mick told me your plans and he mentioned the barbed wire and thumb tacks too. It sounds brutal."

"Yeah well we just want to give the crowd a match to remember."

Stephanie shook her head, concerned as he grinned widely at her father. Paul was crazy when it came to the ring and he was always pushing his body to the limit. Honestly, it scared her sometimes.

"Just make sure you're careful out there, will you?" she pleaded with him. "Your health is more important than the match."

"Yes dear." Paul chuckled.

Vince smiled at them both. "Stephanie, it was actually you I was looking for. Jonathan called me. He asked me to let you know that he could make it to the pay per view after all. His plane lands in a couple of hours."

Stephanie swallowed the lump in her throat and forced a smile back. Inside, her stomach was twisting in anxious knots at the thought of her husband. In fact, she felt physically sick.

"Thanks Daddy." she managed to blurt out trying her best to appear normal.

"Anyway, I'd better make tracks. I'll catch the pair of you later."

Vince raised his hand in farewell as he left the table.

Just a few seconds later, Stephanie pushed back her chair abruptly and stood up tossing her napkin to the table.

"If you'll excuse me, I've got a few things to do before this afternoon." she told Paul, making her excuses. The truth was she needed to get out of here. She was struggling to breathe and keep her composure.

"But you haven't had your breakfast yet." replied Paul, lightly grabbing her arm as his brown eyes stared up at her in confusion.

"I think I'll skip it. I'm not very hungry. I'll just see you at the arena later."

She offered him a false smile as he slowly released his grip. She quickly scurried out of the dining room before her composure crumpled. Hot tears swum in her eyes and she blinked them back furiously knowing she couldn't have stayed at that table a moment longer. She would have broken down in front of Paul and that was the last thing she needed. God knows he was worried enough after her outburst last night and she didn't want to arouse his suspicions any further.

Stephanie banged the square steel button as she selected her floor and waited impatiently on the elevator. It was while she was waiting that she heard the snort from behind.

"I might have known you'd be here."

She rolled her eyes and turned round slowly to see Joanie glaring at her.

"Now I know why Paul came here yesterday. The princess clicked her fingers and he came running."

Stephanie shook her head. She wasn't in the mood for Joanie's bitchy attitude. God knows she had enough problems of her own. She pressed the button for the elevator again desperate to get away from her.

"I had nothing to do with Paul arriving early, Joanie. Maybe you should take a look closer to home." she told her.

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm sure you can figure it out."

Just then the doors pinged open and Stephanie let out a sigh of relief as she stepped inside.

"You stay away from Paul. He's mine." Joanie snarled, pointing in Stephanie's direction.

"Fuck off Joanie."

The elevator doors closed over before Stephanie could witness her reaction. The bitch would be offended but she didn't care. Her possessive attitude of Paul made her sick but right now, Joanie Laurer was the least of her worries.

Feeling the knots in her stomach twist even tighter, Stephanie bit down on her lip and tried not to think about Jonathan's impending arrival. It didn't take an idiot to work out that his impromptu visit had been triggered by that phone call last night. But she had time on her side and she would be safe for at least a couple of days. Her husband was quite the actor and being on the road, he would play the loving, doting husband in front of everyone else. It would only be behind closed doors at home that he would reveal his true colours. Only then would she know the punishment that awaited her, the punishment that one day she knew would go a step too far.

Stephanie pushed back the hot lump in her throat as the elevator door slid open. She saw him as soon as she stepped into the corridor and was surprised to see him standing there, waiting on her. She just didn't know how he had made it here so fast.

"We need to talk."

She nodded. Paul's expression was unusually sombre and she knew this would be about Joanie. It had to be. She just didn't understand how he knew. After all, she had just left the jacked-up bitch in the lobby. How the hell did Paul find out about their little altercation so fast?

"Can we go to your room?"

Stephanie nodded once more and they headed along the hallway in silence. She knew she was probably out of line telling Joanie to fuck off but she had seriously pissed her off. Paul was such a nice guy and she just couldn't understand why he put up with her abusive crap. But then again, she was guilty of exactly the same thing with Jonathan. It seemed she had a lot more in common with Paul than she thought.

Stephanie opened the door and stepped aside to let him in to her room. She threw the key card down on the table and saw Paul standing watching her. She shuffled her feet nervously on the carpet.

"So do you want to sit down?" she asked, gesturing to the small patterned sofa in front of them.

"No thanks."

She sighed softly she brushed her hair behind her ear. "Look Paul, I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to be so abrupt and tell her to fuck off. She just caught me in a bad moment that's all."

His nose instantly crinkled with his confusion. "Who did? What are you talking about Steph?"

Stephanie's blue eyes went wide as she explained. "Joanie. I just told her to fuck off in the lobby. I thought you knew."

"No. As soon as you left, I took the stairs. I didn't see Joanie or anyone else."

Now it was Stephanie's turn to be completely confused. She had just left Paul in the dining room. He hadn't mentioned anything about needing to talk then again she hadn't really given him a chance to bring it up, not when she'd high tailed it from the table. But what had come up that was so urgent and in such a short space of time? She bit down on her lip curiously as she sat on the arm of the sofa.

"So what's this about?" she asked.

Paul licked his lips and raked his fingers nervously through his hair. He wanted to ask her what the hell Joanie had said to her this time. After all, it had to have been bad for Stephanie to have responded in that way but he didn't want to deviate from the real reason he had come here.

See, he wasn't completely blind and he knew Stephanie pretty well. He had seen her reaction to her father's news this morning and she had looked petrified at the mention of Jonathan's name. And although she had tried to cover it up, it had been far too late. He had already seen the fear in her eyes, fear that only validated his suspicions about Jonathan. That's why he needed to talk to her before her husband got here. He wouldn't have the chance later on. He just hoped and prayed Stephanie trusted him enough to let him in because he couldn't just walk away, not now. Not now he suspected the real truth.

"Paul?"

Her voice lifted him from his thoughts and he let out a slow breath. He just hoped he wasn't way off base here but he needed to know. He couldn't bear the thought of something happening to her and if it did he could never forgive himself. Not when there was something he could have done to prevent it from ever happening in the first place. It just made him wonder why the hell he'd never seen it before now.

His mind made up that he had to broach the issue, Paul walked slowly towards her. His brown eyes never once left her beautiful face as he took her hand and tugged on it to pull Stephanie to her feet. He squeezed her fingers gently, reassuringly. Her blue eyes watched him intently.

"I want you to know that I'm only forcing the issue because I care about you, okay? I can't stand back and watch you get hurt, not any more."

Stephanie immediately ducked her head away from him. Undeterred, Paul slid his finger under her chin and lifted it up, forcing her to look his way.

"I know it's hard but I want you to tell me the truth, Stephanie. Please."

His worried brown stared at her, pleading with her.

"Those bruises on your body, I know they weren't from a fall. It was Jonathan. He did that to you, didn't he?"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"_He did that to you, didn't he?" _

Paul words rang in her ears as Stephanie pushed back the hard lump in her throat.

His question was a bolt out of the blue and she could feel the panic gripping her chest. Stephanie had never imagined that he would ever figure out what was going on. She thought she'd hidden it well. Obviously, she had been completely mistaken. Paul had taken the time to put the pieces together and realise the truth. The only problem was she wasn't ready to face that truth, not now and maybe not ever.

Paul's brown eyes watched her intently as he waited patiently for her answer. She could see the concern etched clearly on his face and Stephanie knew he cared about her. He'd more than proved that last night and deep down, she knew she could trust him. If she told him about Jonathan, she knew it wouldn't go any further unless she wanted it to. But that was the problem. She didn't want it to. She didn't want anyone to know her secret. God knows, she was far too ashamed.

"Please Steph, talk to me. I just want to help you."

She felt Paul grip her hand even tighter as his eyes focused on her, pleading with her to let him in. The gentle tone of his voice overwhelmed her and hot tears sprung to her eyes. Stephanie blinked them back furiously determined she wasn't going to break down and cry. She had to stay strong if she was to convince Paul that nothing was going on with Jonathan.

And at that simple thought of her husband, Stephanie felt her stomach twist into knots. God, Jonathan would be here soon. Why had she even contemplated telling Paul the truth? She couldn't, not now because once she told him, there was no going back and she knew he would confront her husband. Paul would go after Jonathan and all hell would break loose. Not only that Jonathan would realise she'd told him about the beatings. He'd come after her and who knew what he would do to her this time. It had gotten to the point where she was genuinely starting to fear for her life. His beatings were getting more and more severe every time and if he found out that Paul knew the truth, there was every chance that Jonathan could kill her.

"Please. Just tell me what's going on." Paul urged her.

Her mind made up, Stephanie let out a shaky, calming breath. She had no other choice. She had to lie to Paul. She had to do the one thing she had never wanted to do. He had become such a good friend to her, one of her best friends.

Ignoring the wave of guilt in her chest, Stephanie ducked her head, avoiding Paul's careful stare as she slowly shook her head. She silently begged for his forgiveness before eventually finding her voice.

"I fell down the stairs, Paul. I told you that."

Stephanie pulled her hand away abruptly and walked across to the sofa. She still refused to look in his direction as she sat down, crossing one foot over the other.

Paul watched her, feeling confused and a little bit angry. Because it was obvious Stephanie was lying. He knew it. She knew it. He just didn't understand why and why she was even trying to cover up for her husband. Because he fucking despised men like Jonathan. They were nothing but gutless, spineless bastards and he could never imagine even laying one finger on a woman, especially a woman he loved.

Paul slowly made his way towards the sofa where Stephanie was sitting. She didn't even look up when he stood in front of her. Instead she gazed down at her hands as her long fingers twisted together nervously. Her body language only confirmed the truth to him. That's why he wasn't going to give up. Stephanie was going to admit it to him whether she wanted to or not.

"You're lying to me." he told her simply.

"I'm not. It's the truth."

"I don't believe you."

"That's not my problem, Paul." Stephanie said, still deliberately avoiding eye contact with him.

Paul clenched his fists tightly as he felt his concern turn to total frustration with her. Why the hell was she playing this game? Why was she protecting that scum of a husband? It was obvious she was making up stories to cover for him. How he wished he could grab her and shake some sense into her but he needed to stay in control. Shouting at Stephanie was not going to make her admit the truth so he had to be calm and rational about this. He needed to get through to her and get Stephanie to open up to him somehow.

Letting out a slow calming breath, Paul brushed his hand through his hair and after a moment's hesitation, he knelt down beside her. His hand rested gently on her leg. Still Stephanie refused to look at him but he carried on undeterred.

"Look Steph, I know you're scared. God only knows what you've been through."

Paul paused and licked his lips, feeling his gut burn as he remembered her bruising.

"But you've got to open up to me. You've got to tell me what's wrong so I can try and help you."

Stephanie finally lifted her head to look at him and straight away he saw the stubborn determination on her face. The same McMahon stubbornness that told him she wasn't going to make this easy for him.

"I don't need your help, Paul." she shot back. "There's nothing going on so why don't you just drop it?"

"Because I can't."

"What do you mean, you can't? Of course you can."

Paul shook his head firmly. Despite his frustration with her, his expression was soft and tender. He could hear the fear in her voice. He could see it in her eyes.

"I can't, Steph. What if something happened to you, huh? I could never forgive myself. Not when I knew there was something I could have done to stop it."

His hand squeezed her leg softly as his brown eyes pleaded with her once more. Stephanie swallowed hard as the voices in her head screamed at her to tell him. Paul sounded so sincere and she could tell he was genuinely worried about her. She felt touched by that. He was such a sweet and lovely guy and she knew she should tell him the truth because he deserved it. But she was so scared. She couldn't handle the repercussions of telling Paul about Jonathan. She wasn't strong enough to cope. Jonathan had chipped away at her piece by piece and she just didn't have the strength to stand up to him. Not any more. He had left her so frightened and horribly weak.

"I care about you, Steph." Paul said, softly.

Stephanie's lips trembled with her smile as she placed her hand on top of his. "I know you do."

"Then tell me what's going on."

His concern began to overwhelm her and her blue eyes began to burn with her tears as she slowly shook her head.

"I can't." she whimpered.

"Yes, you can." Paul stressed as he watched the tears roll down her face. He could feel his heart breaking for her as he reached up to tenderly brush them away.

"You can't keep letting him hurt you like this, Stephanie."

"Please Paul. Please just drop it."

Her blue eyes were desperate but he shook his head.

"No."

Her face crumpled as she choked back a sob.

"You have to, Paul. Please. Just do it for my sake."

"For your sake?" he repeated, completely bewildered. "Steph, your husband is physically abusing you. Am I'm supposed to turn a blind eye and just let that happen to you?"

"He's not abusing me." she shot back feebly.

"Oh yes he is." Paul growled angrily. "So why don't you stop covering for him. Why won't you come right out and just admit the truth?"

"Because I can't, Paul. Okay? I just can't!"

As her strangled sobbing filled the room, Paul felt incredibly guilty for pushing the issue and immediately wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Stephanie didn't put up a fight as she fell into him and cried. He could feel her body trembling with her frightened breaths and tears and closing his eyes, his big hand rubbed her back, trying his best to soothe her. He felt horrible seeing her break down like this, knowing he was the cause of it, but he had no choice. Although Stephanie hadn't openly admitted it was happening, there was no doubt in his mind that Jonathan was beating Stephanie. And judging from her bruises, those beatings were severe. Christ, he felt sick to his stomach every time he thought about it. God knows how long this had been going on which begged the question why the fuck hadn't he noticed something sooner? The signs must have been there. He had to have been blind not to notice them or just too wrapped up in his own worries not to care. He was supposed to be her friend after all. He had let her down badly but one thing was for sure, he wasn't going to let her down again. Stephanie wasn't going to go through this alone, not if he had anything to say about it.

"I'm so scared." she whispered into his chest.

Paul sighed softly as his heart went out to her. "I know you are. But you don't have to be afraid any more. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."

He felt Stephanie lift her head and pull away. Her big blue eyes were so sad as they looked back at him. She looked defeated and broken. His hand rubbed her arm reassuringly as his facial expression softened.

"I know the truth, Stephanie." he told her. "There's no point in trying to hide it anymore."

She said nothing and she didn't have to. Her silence told him all he needed to know.

"How long has it been happening?" he asked.

Stephanie immediately shut him off, shaking her head abruptly. "I don't want to talk about it."

She saw the hurt that flickered in his deep brown orbs and feeling a stab of guilt, she immediately reached for his hand and took it in hers. She noticed his skin felt hot against her chilled fingers.

"It's just that it's too painful, Paul." she explained. "And I can't handle it. Not right now."

He nodded, showing her he understood.

"You do know you can't tell anyone else about this, don't you."

She watched Paul's face flicker with his stunned disbelief and she gripped hold of his hand tightly, needing him to understand.

"Promise me you won't tell anyone, Paul."

His brown eyes stared at her incredulously. "You can't be serious."

"I am serious. I'm deadly serious."

Paul let out a snort of indignation as his hand shook her off and he leant away from her. "You're crazy if you think I'm going to let you do this."

"You have to. There's no other choice."

He saw Stephanie stare back at him defiantly. Paul shook his head, unable to believe his ears. The woman was nuts if she thought he was going to agree to this.

"Of course there's a choice, Steph. Leave him. Pack your bags and leave him."

Her soft sigh echoed around the four walls and her voice was small when she eventually replied. "I can't. I just don't have the strength."

"Of course you do."

The anger flashed in her eyes as she glared back at him, knowing he wouldn't understand. No-one would.

"No, Paul. I really don't." she told him. "And that's what he's done to me, you see. Every time Jonathan hit me, he took away that little bit of self-respect and pride. Piece by piece it's disappeared. He's broken my spirit, Paul. He's made me weak."

Paul's hand lifted to grip her shoulders and his brown eyes wore a stern expression as they looked directly into hers. "Then don't let him, Steph. Stand up to him. Leave him."

Stephanie smiled sadly. "You make it sound so easy."

"It is."

"It's not. I told you. I don't have the strength."

"You don't have to. I can be strong enough for the both of us."

Stephanie just looked at him for a moment, genuinely touched by his obvious intention to help her but she couldn't allow it. "This isn't your fight, Paul. I'm not your problem."

"But you're not a problem, Steph. You're a friend."

Stephanie's hand reached up to tenderly touch his face. Her thumb traced his beard lightly. "And you're a friend to me too. A good friend."

Her hand lingered as she looked firmly into his eyes.

"And a friend that I know I can trust to keep this to himself."

Paul slowly shook his head. "I don't know if I can do that."

"Please, Paul. For me?" she pleaded.

He looked away. He wasn't going to make any promises he was determined not to keep.

"Please understand. I'm just not ready."

He whipped his head back up frustrated by her reluctance and unable to control his anger any longer. "And when will you be ready Steph? Will it be the next time you're lying bloody and beaten? Or maybe it will be the one time he goes too far."

As his harsh words hung in the air between them, Paul tried not to feel guilty as he watched another tear roll down Stephanie's cheek.

"I-I just need time, Paul. I mean, I can't just up and leave."

"And why not?"

"I've nowhere to go. Where will I stay?"

"You could stay with me."

Stephanie snorted. "I'm sure Joanie would love that one."

Paul scowled and shook his head. "Forget Joanie. This isn't about her. This is about you. You need to get away from Jonathan, Stephanie."

"I know." she whispered.

Paul felt his shoulders slump with his relief at those two little words knowing he had finally gotten through to her. He rubbed her arm softly. "Good. And when you do, I'll be there for you. You're not going through this alone, Stephanie. I'm going to be with you every step of the way. I promise."

She nodded at him gratefully. "I will do it, Paul. I just need a little time."

"Just promise me you'll do it soon?"

"I will."

She looked deep into his eyes as she laid out her condition.

"Just please don't say anything to anyone, Paul. And that includes my parents."

His mouth automatically parted to protest but she placed her finger over his lip, silencing him.

"They can't find out. At least until I've left Jonathan. If he has any idea that I'm leaving him, he'll do everything he can to stop me. Do you understand?"

He nodded his head suddenly unable to do anything else. He lost his voice as the true realisation of the danger Stephanie was in hit him like a tonne of bricks.

"I'm probably going to need your help." she said, timidly.

Paul smiled solemnly. "Yeah well you were getting it whether you wanted it or not."

"I'm scared to death."

His expression softened as he took her in his arms. "I'm going to be there, Steph. I'm going to make sure he doesn't hurt you again. Just do it soon, alright?"

Stephanie nodded against his chest and as Paul held her close, she closed her eyes. For the first time in a long time, she felt safe and protected and determined to go through with this. Paul had helped her make the decision she should have made a long time ago. She had never had the courage before but Paul had given her that courage. He had given her the strength that Jonathan had tried so hard to destroy. So it was up to her now. She needed to find the right time to make her move and leave him. It wasn't going to be easy but with Paul by her side supporting her, she knew she could do it. She had to. She had no other choice.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Paul paced around in his dressing room at the arena, his hands raking impatiently through his hair, unable to sit still. He was trying so hard to focus on preparing for his match tonight but he just couldn't, not when he had far too much weighing on his mind, in particular Stephanie. He hadn't seen her since he had reluctantly left her at the hotel where had been waiting for Jonathan to arrive.

Paul snarled angrily as the knots twisted inside his gut. The thought of that bastard being anywhere near her turned his stomach even though Stephanie had stressed he had nothing to worry about. He begged to differ when all he could do was worry despite her trying her best to reassure him that Jonathan wouldn't touch her in any way. Not while they were here and on the road. Instead he would play the doting husband in front of her family and friends. Stephanie didn't have to tell him that it would be a completely different situation once they were back at home.

Paul deliberately pushed that thought from his mind and sighed heavily as he flung himself down on the small sofa. He rested his arms on his legs as he dropped his head in his hands. Ever since he had left Stephanie, he hadn't been able to stop thinking about her. He couldn't help but try and imagine what she had been through and the pain and the violence she had suffered for months. Christ! It just didn't bear thinking about really and he would never know how she managed to keep up the façade that everything had been completely fine with her. Back at the hotel Stephanie had talked about not being strong but in his mind, she was strong. She was one of the strongest people he knew. A lot of women would have crumbled and completely fallen apart in her situation but not Steph. She had kept going. She had worn a brave face for the world when inside she was probably screaming, desperate for someone to help her.

And God, he felt so guilty about that because he should have helped her. He should have realised there was something going on before now. How could he have missed something that was staring him right in the face? Then there was the odd bruise he might have noticed but overlooked because he had thought nothing of it. He had probably put it down to a bump she had taken in the ring at the time or something. Then there were all the other scenarios that were rushing through his head like that weekend when Stephanie had supposedly been sick. Maybe she hadn't been sick after all. Maybe Jonathan had hit her so badly that she couldn't move and hadn't been able to leave the house. Fuck!

Paul swallowed hard pushing back the sickness in his gut. The whole thing just made him want to throw up. The sooner Stephanie was away from that guy and out of danger, the better.

Just then the unmistakable sound of her voice filtered through from the corridor. Paul groaned as he closed his eyes, clutching his hair tightly at the roots. Joanie was the last person he wanted to see right now. He wasn't in the mood for her pissy attitude or her bitchy comments and she would be pissed at him. He was in no doubt about that one especially as he hadn't seen her at all since she had arrived. He had been deliberately avoiding her and had been successful, or at least he had been up until now. It looked like his luck had just run out.

Paul sat pensively waiting for the inevitable knock at the door. It never happened. Instead it opened and he glanced up in surprise, instantly clenching his teeth in a silent rage. Joanie was smiling at him sweetly like nothing had happened between them at all and he didn't need to ask why. She was obviously putting on an act for the benefit of Stephanie and her bastard husband who were standing right beside her.

Paul knew Jonathan was watching him. He could feel him staring at him but he refused to look in his direction. He couldn't. It was taking everything he had not to stand up and punch his fucking face in. Instead he looked down at his hands which dangled between his parted thighs, clutched tightly together.

"Paul, sweetie. Aren't you going to say hello?"

Stephanie glanced over, noticing the false smile on Joanie's face. She was trying so hard to act like the doting girlfriend in front of them but deep down, Stephanie knew she couldn't wait to get Paul on her own and start laying into him. It was always the same with her. She'd lost count of the number of times she'd heard her screaming at him behind closed doors. Joanie was either stupid or genuinely didn't realise that everyone knew the truth. She was a bitch and a bully. But at the moment, Joanie was the least of her problems.

Stephanie shifted her feet underneath her, watching Paul anxiously. He had yet to look up and acknowledge his girlfriend and she knew the reason why of course. He was here, standing right beside her. Stephanie forced a smile as Jonathan looked her way. Inside her stomach churned with her hatred for him. Fortunately, his flight had been delayed and she had only met him ten minutes ago when he had pulled up in the limo her father had sent for him. Thankfully she had been with her parents at the time too and Jonathan had been playing the loving husband ever since. Of course, all that would change once they were home and alone.

Nervous, Stephanie's attention turned back to Paul. She silently pleaded with him to look up. Sitting like that in silence, he was making it blatantly obvious that something was bothering him. Even from here she could feel the tension that radiated from him but she couldn't allow his behaviour to arouse Jonathan's suspicions in any way. She tried to think of some way to alleviate the awkwardness in the room.

Blurting out the first thing that came into her head, Stephanie forced a smile in Joanie's direction.

"You know what he's like before a match. Paul zones out. He goes off into his own little world."

Joanie's reply was to snort incredulously in her direction. "I do know what my boyfriend is like thank you very much."

She walked over to the sofa, approaching him. Paul still refused to look up even when she sat down. Her hand tentatively reached out to touch his shoulder.

"Can we go outside for a second? I wanted to talk to you."

"Actually Joanie, I need to go and talk to Dad so we'll just leave you to it."

Stephanie said as she began to leave the room with Jonathan walking in front of her.

It was only when she turned to close the door that Paul finally lifted his head. Their eyes met and she couldn't mistake the anger that simmered in his deep brown pools. But all she could do was smile at him softly and briefly before closing the door behind her.

"So want to tell me where the hell have you been?"

Paul let out a frustrated sigh as he sat back against the sofa. Surprise surprise. It had taken the bitch less than five seconds to show her true colours.

"Back off, Joanie." he warned her. "I'm not in the mood."

"But you never are in the mood lately. Are you, Paul?"

He rolled his eyes angrily in response. "Jesus Christ! Not this again."

Paul pushed himself off the seat and walked to stand across from her. He brushed his hair back from his face and stared at her in dismay.

"We've been over this a thousand times already."

"Yeah well I'm still no closer to finding out the answer." Joanie replied as she scowled back at him, crossing her arms over her chest.

His behaviour recently had left her feeling lost and confused and although she had tried her best not to read too much into it, Friday night had been the final straw. Paul hadn't touched her in weeks now and always found some sort of excuse for not having sex. He had even been in the habit lately of staying up all night with the pretence of working on the show or something just so he wouldn't have to share the same bed as her. Frustrated, she had decided to do something about it. On Friday night, she had set the mood, dressing in the new black lingerie she had purchased. She had played some soft music and had lit some candles too. When Paul had come home from the gym, she had greeted him at the door with a kiss. At first he had returned her kiss but as soon as she had made it obvious she had wanted more, he had backed off from her advances. He pushed her away and had made the excuse that he was tired and had a headache. Her face had flickered with her pain and her anger as she accused him of not loving her and being obsessed with his career. His response had been complete silence and she had woken up the next morning to find him gone.

Joanie softly sighed as she watched Paul just stand there in silence yet again, biting down on his lip deep in thought. Thoughts he no longer shared with her. God, they used to share everything but he really had changed lately. He was slowly becoming a stranger to her, a man she sometimes hardly even recognised. But despite all that, despite the distance between them, she still loved him and she needed him. She couldn't lose him. That just wasn't an option.

"Paul, talk to me." she pleaded. Her scared eyes stared widely at him.

"Honestly, Joan, I don't know what to say." Paul admitted lifting his shoulder in a sad shrug. "And quite frankly anything I do say, you probably don't want to hear anyway."

"That's not true." she replied.

Paul's facial expression was sad as he sighed deeply and decided to face up to what was happening between them. "I'm afraid it is and do you know why? We're drifting apart, Joan. This whole relationship is just getting harder and harder and it shouldn't be that way. It's not right."

Joanie suddenly felt horribly afraid as the tears sprung to her eyes and she pushed back the hot lump in her throat. "What are you trying to say?"

"I don't know but I do know that I'm tired of fighting with you all the time. Loving someone shouldn't be such hard work."

"But we do love each other, though." she quickly interrupted. "Don't we? I mean, surely that's something."

"Right now, I don't know that it is."

As he glanced in the direction of the closed door, Joanie suddenly realised the truth and stood up. Her nostrils flared with her anger as she glared accusingly back at him. "It's because of her isn't it? This is all her fault."

Paul rubbed his face wearily and resisted the urge to scream out load in frustration. He didn't even need to ask who Joanie was referring to. God knows he'd been hearing the same shit for months now.

"This has nothing to do with Steph. This is about us." he reminded her.

"No, it's not Paul. It never has been. Not since you started this damn storyline with her."

"Stop using Stephanie as an excuse, Joan."

"She's not an excuse." she screamed as she poked her finger in his direction. "Just admit it, Paul. Daddy's little princess has taken over our lives. She calls and you go running. She clicks her fingers and you hop on a plane to wherever it is she wants you to go. It's pathetic."

Her chest heaved with her anger but Paul could only look at her sadly, resigned to the truth.

"No, Joanie. What's pathetic is the fact that you can't see what's going on here. Because you and me? Well, we just don't work any more."

His words cut her like a knife and Joanie struggled to breathe as the reality of what was happening began to hit her. Surely Paul didn't mean what he was saying. He couldn't. She suddenly felt terribly scared but she managed to find her voice, needing to know for sure if he meant what she thought he meant. "What are you trying to say, Paul?"

There was no mistaking the certainty in his low tone. "It's over, Joanie."

She gasped as a tear rolled down her cheek. "No."

"But it has to be."

Paul felt incredibly guilty as he watched the tears slide down her face and he walked slowly towards her. He pulled Joanie into his arms feeling her grip onto him tightly.

"We're tearing each other apart." he told her honestly. "We can't keep going on like this."

"But I love you, Paul."

Joanie broke away and looked into his eyes. They gazed back at her sadly but her world came crashing down as she realised there wasn't a hint of regret lingering there.

"It's not enough any more." he told her.

Her bottom lip quivered as she stepped back from him. The familiar warmth of his arms hurt too much and Joanie shook her head in disbelief as she slowly backed away.

"I can't believe you're doing this to us."

"I'm sorry." he hushed.

"Yeah, well I'm sorry too." she shot back as her defences came up and her anger quickly replaced her sorrow. "I'm sorry I wasted four years of my life on a bastard like you."

Paul could only stand and watch as she yanked open the door. Joanie lingered for a second, just long enough to look back one last time.

"Rot in hell, Paul Levesque."

He winced as the door slammed loudly behind her and as it echoed around the four walls, he stood there in a stunned silence trying to process what had just happened. He honestly hadn't meant to break up with Joanie. It had been the last thing on his mind when she had walked through that door tonight but it had just happened. And he knew the words he had spoken had been the absolute truth. They were drifting apart and they had been for a while now. He just hadn't really wanted to acknowledge the distance he could feel growing between them day by day and Joanie, she had changed so much. There was no doubt he had changed too and they both wanted completely different things in life. It was a recipe for disaster especially when the only thing they ever really had in common was wrestling and lately even that had been a topic they rarely discussed. It had only ever led to arguments and deep in his heart he knew ending things was for the best. Still it didn't stop the pain. Joanie had been a huge part of his life for so long. He was going to miss her and despite everything he did still care about her.

Raking his hands through his hair, Paul slowly walked back towards the sofa and flung himself down. He glanced around the room absently knowing he had a match in a couple of hours. God only knows it was the last thing on his mind right now. His head was spinning with everything that happened what with Joanie and Stephanie.

But his thoughts were interrupted as Paul heard the knock on the door. He frowned as he saw Foley's head pop through. He wore a panicked expression on his face.

"Paul, you'd better get out here. Joanie's started on Stephanie."

"Shit!"

Paul jumped out of his seat and raced out into the corridor. He heard Joanie screaming at the top of her voice.

"You fucking bitch. You just couldn't leave him alone could you?"

Stephanie was glaring back at her in anger, her blue eyes confused. "What the hell are you talking about Joanie?"

"Paul! We're through and it's all your fault."

"It had nothing to do with me."

"Bullshit. It's no coincidence that the pair of you showed up early this weekend. You've probably been screwing one another senseless the last couple of days."

"Joanie, that's enough." Paul told her sternly, grabbing her arm and whipping her round to face him.

"Oh look. The Game is here to rescue his fucking princess."

He shook his head in disdain as he glared at her. "Leave Stephanie out of this. I told you she had nothing to do with it."

"Well I don't believe you. Ask anyone around here. They all know she's hot for you."

"Shut your mouth, Joan. You're making an idiot of yourself."

"No, you're the idiot, Paul. You're just a wrestler. You really think the princess is going to look twice at the likes of you?!"

"Joanie, shut the hell up." Stephanie told her, pointing in her direction and seeing the growing crowd around them, knew she had to end this and end it quick. "You say one more word and your ass will be fired. You got me?"

Joanie scowled as even through her anger, she realised she was beat and Stephanie meant every word she said. It was time to back off if she didn't want to lose both her career and her relationship in one day.

"Loud and clear." she spat back.

"Good. Now if I'm not mistaken, you've got a match to get ready for."

Joanie glared at her hatefully for a moment before she roughly pushed Paul aside and walked in the opposite direction.

"Are you okay?" Paul asked Stephanie as the small group of wrestlers around them began to dissipate now the show was over.

She nodded, smiling. "What about you?"

"I'll survive." he smiled, rubbing her arm affectionately.

Paul and Stephanie were completely unaware that Jonathan was watching them from the other end of the corridor. Vince had left to take a call so he had decided to come looking for his wife. He had been just in time to hear every single word between his wife and that bitch Chyna. It looked like his instincts was right. His wife was screwing Helmsley behind his back. She was going to be sorry when he finally got her hands on her. She would be the sorriest she had ever been.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Stephanie bit down on her lip, nibbling on it anxiously as she walked along the narrow corridor. She paid no attention to the curious glances being thrown her way which were all thanks to her earlier spat with Joanie, now the hot topic of conversation around the place. It also didn't help matters that the bitch was willing to run her mouth off to anyone who would listen to her. Of course she was making out she was the aggrieved party when in fact Joanie had no one to blame for this but herself. She was the one who treated Paul like shit for months now and Stephanie had personally been witness to a couple of her tantrums. She was sure it was even common knowledge that she had hit him once or twice too. Paul had certainly put up with a lot of crap and God knows how he had lasted this long without doing something about it. He was definitely way too passive at times despite his tough exterior but thankfully he had finally grown a back bone and told Joanie it was over. He was such a great guy too. He didn't deserve to be treated that way and he certainly deserved a hell of a lot better than the Ninth Wonder of the World.

Stephanie sighed softly as she approached their dressing room. As well as being through the wringer with Joanie tonight, Paul had been through hell physically too and she had to admit to feeling worried about him. His match with Foley had been brutal to say the least and he had been in the process of being stitched up when she had left him an hour or so earlier. And despite his bravado in front of the other guys, she knew Paul was in a lot of pain. She had seen his face flinch from time to time and any movement had been slow and particularly careful. He had really put his body on the line tonight but then again, she didn't expect anything less. Paul always gave everything he had in the ring and then some. He was so passionate and dedicated. It was why he was the best.

Stephanie tapped on their dressing room door and walked in. Paul looked up from the chair he was sitting on. Despite his smile, she could see his brown eyes were tired but he had managed to somehow change and shower. His black t-shirt hugged his muscular body and his wet hair fell around his shoulders.

"Hey. I wondered where you had got to." he said as she shifted on the seat.

Stephanie smiled as she closed the door behind her. "I thought I would escape for a while. The needles and blood were starting to get to me."

"I never had you pegged as the squeamish type, princess. But it was a great match though, wasn't it?" Paul beamed back at her proudly.

She shook her head and bit back her grin. He reminded her of an excited little kid.

"You're nuts." she told him.

"I blame it on the chair shots. They've damaged my brain cells."

"You have those?"

Paul's eyes narrowed in her direction but their unmistakable twinkle showed his amusement. "You're real funny. I'd laugh at your attempt at humour if it wasn't too painful."

Stephanie immediately frowned and walked towards him. Her concerned blue eyes scanned his face carefully.

"Are you in a lot of pain?" she asked as she affectionately brushed back his hair from his forehead which was covered in the obligatory white tape.

"I'll live. But you could do me one favour though."

"What's that?"

"Tie my laces for me." Paul chuckled as he stretched one leg out in front of him. "I got a little dizzy down there a minute ago."

"I think I can manage that." Stephanie smiled as she knelt down beside him.

As she began to fasten his boots, Paul's smile slowly faded unable to stop thinking about her or their conversation this morning. His heart broke for her and honestly, he'd never been so worried for anyone in his life. The knots twisted in his gut every time he imagined what Stephanie had been through. It didn't bear thinking about especially seeing that bastard of a husband with her tonight, playing the dutiful and devoted husband and son-in-law. It had taken everything he had not to grab him and beat the living hell out of him when he'd seen Jonathan hanging around backstage before his match with Vince, laughing and joking like he didn't have a care in the world. It had killed him to do what Stephanie wanted and walk away from him instead. Christ, every time he thought about what he had put her through, it burned a hole in his stomach. The guy was a fucking creep and a bully. She couldn't leave him soon enough in his opinion especially when the thought of him laying another finger on her made him want to throw up.

"There you go. All done!" Stephanie announced as she pushed herself to her feet.

Paul's face was like stone as he stared blankly ahead and it was obvious he was pre-occupied with something. His fist was clenched as it rested on his thick thigh and his breathing was slow and heavy. She grimaced sympathetically thinking he was in a lot of pain but then he turned his head slightly, glancing in her direction. She couldn't mistake the dark expression in his brown eyes. Paul wasn't in pain. Paul was angry.

"Paul, are you okay?" she asked him.

He just looked at her in silence for a moment before eventually replying. "Promise me you're going to leave him, Steph."

Stephanie sighed as she brushed her hair behind her ear, not surprised his anger was over Jonathan. She could feel his rage every single time he had mentioned him.

"I already told you I would. You just have to give me time."

Paul flinched in pain as he stood up, his legs wobbling slightly as he got to his feet. His expression was sombre as he gripped her shoulders tightly, pleading with her. "You have to make it soon, though. You know that don't you."

Stephanie bit down on her lip and nodded her agreement. Because she hadn't mistaken the sinister glances Jonathan had thrown her way when he thought no one else was looking. There was no doubt in her mind that once she got home, she would be the victim of yet another physical attack. She recognised the signs all too well but if he hit her, it would be the last time for sure. Paul had woken her up and made her see sense. He had made her realise that she had an option. She didn't have to stick around and suffer the violence any longer.

"I meant what I said earlier, Steph. I'm going to be there for you."

His firm yet gentle tone reassured her and she smiled at him gently, grateful for his strength, his understanding and his support. God knows she needed him right now. She just didn't have the strength or the courage to do this on her own.

"You can come and stay with me for as long as it takes. And I don't want any arguments about it either. I just need you to be safe."

The hot tears pricked at her eyes and blinking them back, she nodded her gratitude.

His determination for her safety and his offer of sanctuary meant so much to her, more than he could possibly ever know.

"Thank you." she whispered knowing those words could never be enough but it was all she could offer him. A solitary tear slipped over her lashes and Paul's thumb lifted to tenderly wipe it away.

"You don't have to thank me. Just get out of there, Steph."

His heavy sigh echoed around the silent dressing room before he slid his arms around her and pulled her close. Stephanie allowed her head to fall against his chest but suddenly jumped back, startled as she heard the muffled sounds from outside the door. There was no mistaking her husband's voice. It sent a chill through every bone in her body and she furiously wiped at her tears as the door opened. She couldn't let him see her upset. She couldn't let Jonathan get suspicious. Sniffing, her big blue eyes stared at Paul, pleading with him silently to play along.

"Here they are."

She turned to acknowledge her father as he walked into the room. He immediately pulled her into a hug forcing her to bite back her tears once more and find her composure. Somehow she did and even managed a forced smile in his direction. "Hey Daddy."

Vince kissed her forehead as he released her. Her gaze immediately fell on Jonathan who was watching her over his shoulder. His grey eyes were icy cold despite the smile on his face.

"And how's my Champ?" asked Vince as he turned towards Paul. He was completely unaware that the young man standing in front of him was filled with rage.

Paul somehow plastered a false smile on his face as he felt Stephanie watching him anxiously. He deliberately avoiding even looking in her husband's direction or acknowledging his presence. It was the only way he could keep his silence and his anger in check. This was what Stephanie wanted after all and he was only doing it for her. It certainly wasn't to protect Jonathan in any way.

"I'm good, Vince. I'm just glad we could pull off the match."

Vince beamed back at him proudly. "You did more than pull it off. That match was magnificent tonight and you should be proud of yourself. You really stepped your game up tonight, pardon the pun." he chuckled.

This time, Paul's smile was a little more genuine. The praise meant a lot to him especially coming from Vince. He had a lot of respect for the man and he just hoped he was finally earning that respect in return.

"Anyway I'm glad I caught you before you left." Vince continued. "I thought I should let you know that you have the rest of the week off."

Paul's nose wrinkled with his confusion. "I thought we had a promo with Show tomorrow night."

"Yeah well unfortunately he got a phone call a little while ago. He's got some family business he needs to take care of so he won't be there. Besides, I thought you might appreciate the time to recuperate after your match."

He quickly shook his head. "I can do the show, you know. I'm fine. It's not a problem."

"I know." Vince smiled. "But considering Stephanie won't be there either, you might as well take advantage of a few days at home."

Paul quickly glanced over at Stephanie and he could see she looked to be as much in the dark about this as he was.

"What's going on, Daddy?"

Vince lifted his shoulder in a shrug. "I think you should ask Jonathan that question."

Stephanie could feel her apprehension as she turned round to look at her husband. He had an almost arrogant look on his face as he smiled at her.

"I asked your father if you could have some time off."

Her stomach began to churn uneasily. "And why would you do that?"

"I thought we could spend some quality time together. Maybe work on that family we always wanted."

The touch of his fingers on her arm made her skin crawl as Stephanie felt her composure shake. She bit down on her lip in an attempt to stop any tears that were tempted to fall as the enormity of what Jonathan had just said hit her full force. He had threatened things would change when he had called her hotel room last night and it looked like he meant what he had said.

And while the possibility of a family was something they had talked about in the past, Stephanie knew she didn't want children, not with this man. It would only trap her even further into a marriage she was now desperate to escape. Plus she knew he was only doing this to take her away from the one thing that helped her survive. Her work.

Jonathan knew how much she loved her career and the business but now he was even trying to control that. He wanted to trap her in this marriage and take away any little bit of independence and pride she might have left. He really was a vicious and cruel man, one that she knew she didn't recognise any more and a man that she sure as hell didn't love anymore. Jonathan had killed that love bit by bit every time he had laid his hands on her.

Swallowing thickly, Stephanie's eyes lifted and settled on her father who was smiling proudly at her. She knew he would be a loving and doting grandfather. He would be the best and it pained her to know that she was going to disappoint him. Because she couldn't give him the grandchild he so desperately wanted. There was no way she was bringing Jonathan's child into this world. She just hoped he could forgive her for letting him down.

Just then Stephanie felt Jonathan tug on her arm cutting her thoughts short.

"Come on, honey. We'd better go. Our flight leaves in an hour."

With a heavy heart, she let him lead her to the door but not before glancing back and looking at Paul. She could see the rage that swam in his deep brown pools and his jaw was rigid and clenched tightly. She gave him the only answer she could by nodding her head in his direction.

She watched as his expression shifted slightly and Stephanie knew he understood what she had meant. She was leaving Jonathan. There was no seed of doubt or hesitation in her mind. Not now. Not after this. She just hoped Paul would be there for her like he promised her he would because God knows, she was going to need him.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Paul placed the weights down on the floor and sat up on the bench, wiping his forehead with a disgruntled sigh. He could feel the cool sweat that trickled down his brow and his body was throbbing in protest at his physical exertion. He had pushed himself hard and probably way harder than he should have considering he was still recovering from his match. But he couldn't help it. Working out was the only thing keeping him sane right at this very moment.

Three days had passed since the pay per view and he still hadn't heard a single word from Stephanie. No phone call, nothing and he just couldn't get her out of his mind. His stomach constantly churned with his worry and he'd lost count of the number of times he'd wanted to call her. He was desperate to hear her voice and know she was okay but he just couldn't take the chance. He couldn't risk that bastard answering her phone. It would only place Stephanie even further in danger. Because he wasn't dumb and he knew what Jonathan thought about his relationship with his wife. There had been no mistaking the jealous look in his eyes when he had walked in the dressing room and saw her alone with him. His unspoken accusations of an affair were written all across his face. That was why he couldn't risk calling her. He didn't want to do anything to invoke Jonathan's anger. He couldn't risk him lashing out at Stephanie and God knows he could never forgive himself if something terrible happened to her.

Deliberately pushing any thoughts of her danger from his mind, Paul picked up his towel and wiped his damp forehead. Sighing he leant forward and dropped his head to his hands. He felt so fucking useless just being in this house, waiting for a call that never came and he knew he needed to do something. He knew he needed to find out if Stephanie was okay. It was driving him crazy not knowing if she was safe or not. God knows what that bastard could have done to her by now.

A vision of her fragile body lying battered and bloody briefly flashed through his mind and Paul squeezed his eyes tightly trying to dispel it from his memory. But it continued to haunt him and finally unable to take it any longer, he got up quickly and rushed through to the living room. Grabbing the phone, his hand shook slightly as he dialled the familiar number. He could feel his heart anxiously pounding in his chest as it rang out at the other end.

"Come on, answer your damn phone." he muttered impatiently.

"Hello?"

His shoulders dropped with his relief at the sound of her voice.

"Linda, it's Paul. Paul Levesque."

"Paul. It's nice to hear from you. How are you feeling after your match on Sunday?"

"Fine."

His answer was short and to the point as he impatiently smoothed his hand over his hair. He wasn't in the mood for small talk despite Linda's politeness and his stomach was churning, twisting in knots.

"Linda, have you heard from Steph lately?"

"Actually, I just talked to her five minutes ago."

Paul closed his eyes as a wave of unspeakable relief washed through his body.

"Why? Is there a problem?"

Linda's question caught him off guard and Paul raked his long fingers through his hair as he walked towards the large bay window, racking his brains trying to think of a convenient excuse for his call.

"No. No, there's no problem. I, uh, I lost my cell so I don't have her number."

"I could give it to you if you like."

"Great. I'll just get a pen and write it down."

Paul waited a few seconds while he pretended to look for something to write with, absently glancing at his cell phone which was sitting on the cushion on the sofa.

"Got it." he eventually replied. He bit down on his lip as he listened to Linda reel off her number but his nose wrinkled with his frown as he watched an unfamiliar car pull up into the driveway.

"I can give you her home number too." Linda offered.

Paul shook his head as he turned away from the window. "Nah, it's okay. I'll try her on her cell later on. Thanks."

"You're welcome."

Just then he heard a key rattle in the lock and he scowled knowing exactly who his unwelcome visitor was. "Listen Linda, I gotta go. There's someone at the door."

"Okay, Paul. It was nice talking to you."

He couldn't reply as he hung up, his teeth clenched in anger. His jaw flickered with the tension as the door opened and Joanie walked in, her mouth dropping in shock to see him standing there.

"Paul. I didn't expect to see you here."

"No? Well I fuckin' live here in case you'd forgotten." He snarled as he walked towards her, her strong scent catching in the back of his throat. "Which begs the question why you're here. Because you don't live in this house. Not any more"

Joanie placed her hands on her hips as she snorted in anger. "I know that, asshole. I just came here to pack my stuff."

Paul proudly gestured towards the stack of boxes in the corner of the room. "Oh you don't have to worry about that. I did it for you."

Joanie shook her head in disbelief as she saw her belongings and suddenly her anger was replaced with a deep sadness. "You obviously are desperate to get rid of me."

"It's over Joan. There's no point in prolonging things between us." said Paul.

Deep down, he knew he was being harsh but he wasn't in the mood for dealing with her dramatics. The sooner Joanie left, the better as far as he was concerned. He had other things on his mind, more important things.

"I thought we could talk." Joanie said, reaching out to touch his arm.

Paul quickly pulled away, his irritation growing with her presence.  
"There's nothing left to say."

"No? Well I think there is because I still love you Paul."

The tears glistened in her eyes as her bottom lip quivered and Paul tried to ignore the pang of guilt in his chest as he gave her the only reply he could.

"But I don't love you. Not anymore." he told her softly.

And those words were the absolute truth. He had had a lot of time to think over the past few days and had come to a few realisations about his life. One of them was that what he had felt towards Joanie wasn't love. Not over the last few months and the only reason he had stayed with her was through loyalty. Loyalty for the past four years they had spent together but their history wasn't enough. Joanie deserved better than that and he knew that he did too.

Suddenly she began to sob and Paul swallowed hard, his hands remaining firmly by his sides. He wanted to comfort her. He did. After all, he was the reason she was standing there so upset. But he couldn't allow himself to get close. Joanie would expect more than he was willing to give.

"It's because of her, isn't it!" Joanie sniffed as she interrupted their silence, violently wiping her tears away.

Paul groaned as he pushed back his hair in total frustration. "Not this again!"

"But it's the truth, Paul. Just fucking admit it, will you!" she screamed.

"You know I'm getting tired of this shit." he shot back. "The same crap comes out of your mouth time and time again and I'm sick of listening to your whiny voice going on and on about Stephanie."

He sighed heavily as he tucked a lock of hair behind his ear.

"Steph is not the issue here, Joan. You are. You've changed. You're not the woman I fell in love with. You've become bitter and twisted and I hardly recognise you any more."

Joanie snorted, tossing her head in indignation. "Oh I'm not the one who's changed, Paul. If there's anyone who's changed around here, it's you."

She took a step closer towards him pointing her long talon-like finger towards him.

"You're the one that's so fucking obsessed with having that damn title around your waist. All you care about is that belt."

"That's not true."

"Oh yes it is. You know it. Your head is just so far up your own ass you can't see it."

Paul sighed wearily rubbing his hand over his stubbled chin deciding he wasn't going to continue this argument. He'd had enough arguments with her to last a lifetime and they weren't going to accomplish anything by screaming and shouting at one another. They were just raking over old ground. God knows he'd heard the same thing a million times before.

"Look Joan, this is pointless. Why don't you just take your stuff and go?"

"Why? So you can go running off to that bitch!"

Paul shook his head sadly. "I'm not going to even waste my breath any more. Just leave."

Joanie glared defiantly at him. His brown eyes glared back and she eventually dropped her head, slowly backing away towards the boxes in the corner.

"Everyone knows you're screwing her!" she said, deliberately taunting him.

Paul crossed his arms in front of him. He shook his head in disdain as she picked up a box.

"The whole damn locker room knows what's going on."

He rolled his eyes as his patience finally ran out and he brushed past her, placing the other two boxes on top of one another and lifted them up. He followed her towards the door speeding up her departure. He wasn't helping her to be friendly. The sooner she was gone the better as far as he was concerned.

Outside, he dumped the boxes by her car. He held out his hand towards her, his palm upturned.

"Key, please."

Joanie scowled as she removed the brass object from her key ring. "You know, you'd better watch your back. I wouldn't be surprised at all if Jonathan knows you're sleeping with his precious wife."

Paul's hand closed over the key that she placed in his palm. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I saw him after the pay per view. He asked me if I thought there was something going on between the two of you."

An unexpected chill suddenly ran down his spine as her words hit him. "What the fuck did you say to him, Joan?"

"The truth of course. He deserved to know."

He began to feel sick as a crippling fear gripped at his chest. "You stupid bitch! Do you have any idea what you've done?!"

Paul didn't look back as he turned round and sprinted back to the house.

Joanie sneered as she called out to him. "Your little affair is over. Do you hear me?! It's over!"

The door slammed shut silencing her screams. Paul's heart raced in his chest as he grabbed his cell from the sofa and his trembling fingers dialled her number. He knew he was taking a huge risk calling her but he had to warn her. He had no other choice. She needed to get out of that house today.

His foot tapped impatiently as the phone rang out. "Come on, Steph. Please. Answer your phone."

"Hi, this is Stephanie……….."

"Steph?" he breathed in relief.

"……….you know what to do after the beep."

"Shit!"

Paul clutched his hair as he began to pace the room.

"Steph, it's me. You have to call me when you get this message. Joanie's told Jonathan we're sleeping together. You have to get out of there, Steph. Do you hear me? You need to leave."

He paused trying to keep his emotions in check as he pleaded with her.

"Please, just call me as soon as you get this."

He hung up and threw his phone down on the sofa. "Fuck!"

His cry echoed through the empty house. He stood there for a second as he tried to think what to do. His head was spinning with the implications of Joanie's confession and he knew he couldn't wait on Stephanie calling him back. He just couldn't shake the feeling that she was in danger and he had to do something, anything at all. But what the hell could he do short of barging her door down and getting her out of that house?

Paul suddenly snatched his phone and dialled another number. He chewed his finger nail anxiously as it rang. He tried to remain calm. The last thing he wanted to do was worry Linda.

"Hello?"

"Hey Linda, it's Paul again."

"Paul. Twice in one day. People will talk."

Paul forced himself to laugh in response although God knows it was the last thing he felt like doing. "I won't tell if you don't."

His voice sounded shaky as it echoed around the room. He cleared his throat and exhaled slowly trying to ignore the loud beating of the blood in his ears.

"Listen, I wondered if I could ask you a favour." he said a bit more controlled. "Could you give me Steph's address? I've jotted down a few ideas I wanted to send her."

"Sure. But don't you have her e-mail address?"

Paul grimaced at her unexpected response. "Yeah but you know me. Computers and I don't exactly get along. I was thinking I could just post it."

He heard Linda chuckle at the other end. "Sure. You got a pen?"

"Yep." Paul grabbed the pen and notepad sitting beside the phone. He cradled the phone against his ear as he listened and jotted down the address.

"Thanks again, Linda."

"Any time. Listen, I've got another call coming through that I need to take. Sorry."

"No problem." he told her. "I'll talk to you soon."

Paul hung up quickly and ran up the stairs to shower and change. His mind was made up and he was getting the first plane out to Connecticut. Stephanie was leaving that house with him today whether she liked it or not.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Stephanie quickly shut her lid of her suitcase as the sound of the car pulling up in the driveway startled her. She shoved it under the bed as her heart pounded madly in her chest and exhaled a slow, shaky breath as she straightened back up. She needed to stay calm and keep her composure and not let Jonathan become the least bit suspicious about her actions. One wrong move and her plans to leave him would be ruined.

Stephanie quickly smoothed down the bed sheets and ran over to the closet. She closed over the doors concealing her crime. Not that he would notice anything missing. She had only taken a minimal amount of clothes, enough to see her through. She had been careful and extremely methodical about her getaway.

Just then she heard the front door close over and Stephanie felt the house suddenly become that much smaller and stifling. Today had been the first day he had left her alone. He had only been gone for an hour but it had been long enough for Stephanie to make the most of the freedom and get things in order. She was leaving tomorrow. She had made her decision this morning.

Sure, since their return from New York, Jonathan had been nothing but kind. He had taken her out to dinner. He had lavished her with flowers and promises of a new life together. There were brief moments where she had seen a glimpse of the man she once knew. But she wasn't fooled; she knew it was all an act and it was only a matter of time before her husband returned to the manipulative bully he was. And he had proved her right straight after breakfast this morning. She had caught him checking through her phone. It didn't take a genius to figure out what he was looking for. His eyes had peered at the screen in front of him as he searched for any evidence that she had contacted Paul. That was the very reason why she deliberately hadn't called Paul all the time she had been here. She was waiting until tomorrow when she was safely on a plane to Boston and out of the path of Jonathan's wrath. And thankfully Paul had had the sense not to try and contact her either.

"Stephanie, I'm home."

Jonathan walked through the grand hallway, his shoes scuffing along the polished floor as he deliberately glanced at the cell phone that sat on the sideboard in the hallway. He picked it up and saw the missed call. His nostrils flared angrily when he saw Paul's name but he put the phone down as he heard her footsteps on the stairs. Stephanie smiled as she reached the bottom.

"What the fuck were you doing? I was calling you."

Stephanie hesitated slightly as she heard his angry tone. However, she kept smiling as she walked towards him. She couldn't let him suspect a thing. "I was tidying upstairs."

Jonathan nodded as he loosened the tie from his neck. "Did anybody call while I was gone?"

"No."

His eyes flickered with his rage as he gritted his teeth and gripped her arms tightly. "Don't fucking lie to me."

"I-I'm not lying to you. I swear."

His fingers pressed hard against her skin. Jonathan's expression was cold as his hand flew and hit her across the face. Stephanie fell back against the stairs. Her lip glistened with blood but she had barely a chance to become aware of the metallic taste as he grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet.

"You fucking bitch! You're lying to me. I know you are. Well I'll teach you to lie to me."

Jonathan huffed as he dragged her back up the large staircase. His wife was going to be taught a lesson. A lesson she would never forget.

Tears rolled down Stephanie's cheeks as she stumbled up the stairs behind him feeling completely confused and bewildered by his behaviour. No one had called her while he was out and what reason would Jonathan have to think otherwise. But she was unable to dwell on that thought as the pain shot through her arm where he gripped her tightly. Her confusion was quickly replaced with fear.

"Please Jonathan. Please don't do this."

Her frightened plea fell on deaf ears and Stephanie screamed as he threw her onto their bed. He bent over and slapped her once more. His eyes hardened as he pulled at her blouse. The tiny buttons clattered as they fell to the wooden floor.

"You're going to be punished. You know that don't you."

Her throat felt hot and thick as she choked on her tears. "Please. Please. Let me go." she whimpered.

Her body lightly trembled against the covers as Jonathan took hold of her wrists and pinned them above her head.

"You're nothing but a fucking whore, Stephanie. You deserve to be treated like one."

He lifted his hand to strike her again. Stephanie closed her eyes as she waited for the inevitable blows to her face………………………..

She didn't trust herself to move until she heard the car engine roar and the gravel crunch underneath the tires. Her water filled eyes stared blankly at the ceiling knowing husband well and knowing that Jonathan was probably going somewhere to drink himself into oblivion but she didn't care. Not anymore.

The excruciating pain shot through her body as she rolled across the bed and her face throbbed with the aftermath of the attack. As Stephanie placed her feet on the floor and stood up, she felt that pain shoot through her entire body. She quickly closed her eyes as the room started to spin but she fell to the floor, her face twisted in agony as she succumbed to the darkness that quickly consumed her………

Her head felt heavy and her eyes slowly fluttered open as Stephanie began to come round. She vaguely became aware of the banging on the door which only got louder as she gained consciousness. She tried to get up but her arms were weak. Her body felt like lead. She collapsed to the floor breathless and spent.

"Stephanie?"

Her head lifted as she heard his voice. Paul. Hot tears pooled in her eyes. He was here. He had come to save her.

"Steph, where are you?"

She summoned all the strength she had to call out his name. "Paul!"

Her head fell to the floor in exhaustion as she listened to the clatter of his footsteps as they raced up the stairs. Her eyelids were heavy and the blackness was threatening to consume her again. She forced them open as she tried to stay awake.

"Stephanie?"

His voice was so close. She heard his boots on the wooden floor.

"Jesus Christ!"

His shocked exclamation echoed loudly in the silence of the bedroom and Stephanie saw the flash of blue denim as he knelt down beside her.

"Paul……" her voice trailed off in a whisper before everything went dark once more.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Paul held Stephanie's hand as he watched her sleep, his thick thumb absently tracing her warm, soft skin. He couldn't believe how small and frail she looked as she lay in the narrow hospital bed. Her face was drawn and pale and the cuts and bruises that marked her perfect skin were a stark, horrible reminder of what she had been through. In fact, he felt physically sick inside every time he looked at them.

Paul sighed wearily as he shifted uncomfortably in the wooden chair. His body was stiff and he felt impatient, hating all this waiting around. He just wished Stephanie would wake up so he could see for himself that she was going to be okay. Although the doctor had told him she would make a full recovery in time, he was having trouble believing it was even possible right now. All he could think about was the blood that had horribly stained the floor and Stephanie's limp, lifeless body as he held her in his arms. Jonathan had beaten her so badly she'd suffered a blow to her head which had caused a mild concussion. She had various cuts and bruises all over her body. There were even teeth marks where he had bitten her on her breasts and thighs. But the worst thing of all in his mind was the fact that an innocent life had been taken.

Paul's expression was sad as he gazed at the woman lying in front of him. Stephanie would be heartbroken when she woke up and discovered that she had lost her baby. It didn't seem fair and it made him rage inside thinking of what that bastard had done to her. The violence she had suffered at his hands. He was just glad that Jonathan would never have the chance to lay his fists on her again. That was an absolute guarantee and he was going to personally make sure of it.

Paul swallowed hard as he tried his best to contain his anger. He clutched her hand tightly as he brushed her hair back from her forehead. Stephanie hadn't deserved to be treated this way. She was such an amazing person and was one of the sweetest and kindest people he knew. She had a heart of gold. How a man who supposedly loved her could do this to her was way beyond belief. In fact he was a fucking animal and Paul wanted to tear him limb from limb. He had never felt such hatred towards one person in his entire life. But his hatred for Jonathan would have to wait for now. Stephanie was the important one here and he had made a promise to her that he would be there for her. He had no intention of breaking that promise. She would be scared and frightened when she finally awakened. She would need him to try and help her get through this and he was determined he wasn't going to let her down.

Paul lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it softly. He let it linger there as he continued to watch her sleep. As his eyes fell on her swollen lip, a fresh wave of guilt washed through him, guilt that he couldn't seem to shake especially sitting here. He couldn't help but feel that he should have tried harder. He should have done more to keep Stephanie away from Jonathan. He should have forced her to leave him sooner. Maybe then she wouldn't be lying here now, a victim of yet another brutal beating.

Paul sighed as he turned away and pressed their joined hands to his forehead. He bowed his head and his long hair fell hiding his face from view.

"Paul?"

He wasn't sure how long he had been lost in his thoughts when his whispered name caught his attention. He lifted his head still clutching her hand tightly. Her blue eyes were wide as they stared at him. His smile was tender and gentle.

"Hey."

A small whimper escaped her lips and her eyes glazed over with tears. Paul reached across and wrapped his arms around her holding her carefully, scared he might hurt her.

"It's okay, Steph. I'm here now. He's never going to hurt you again. I promise."

Her body shook against him as she began to sob, her wet tears dampening his neck. Paul let her cry, his hand moving slowly up and down her back as he tried his best to soothe her. God knows she needed the release. She'd been through so much and how she'd managed to survive this on her own, he'd never know. Stephanie had been to hell and back.

However it was only a few moments later when he felt her body still. Her sobbing stopped. Stephanie pulled away from him, sniffing and wiping at her face. Paul reached for the tissues on the stand by the bed and handed her one. She smiled at him gratefully as she dabbed her eyes and blew her nose.

"Feeling better?" he asked.

She nodded as she rested her head back against the pillows and focused on Paul. She noticed his brown eyes looked heavy and extremely tired. God knows how long he'd been here with her and she was overcome with a feeling of immense gratitude towards him. Because despite everything, despite her near unconscious state, she remembered hearing his voice. She remembered calling to him as she lay there on the bedroom floor. He had come to get her. He had promised he would help her and he hadn't let her down. Paul. He'd really gone above and beyond for her and she knew without a doubt that she had one true friend in this world, one person she could completely trust and rely on.

Stephanie shifted in the bed as she felt a dull ache in her stomach. She bit down on her lip and blinked away the fresh tears that threatened to fall. The pain was a harsh reminder of what she had been through. She briefly closed her eyes as an image of Jonathan flashed through her mind. God, he had been so angry at her. She had never seen him so full of rage as he had screamed at her calling her names. His fists had pounded against her relentlessly then he had kicked her and bitten her. She remembered thinking at one point that he was never going to stop. She had squeezed her eyes shut just waiting for the moment she was sure she was going to die. And when he had roughly taken her, she remembered wishing that she already had.

Suddenly she was gripped by a rush of panic. Her heart began to pound wildly in her chest. Jonathan! Jonathan would come after her. He would notice she was gone and he would try to find her. Her eyes popped open as she stared, wide eyed around the room. The tears streamed down her cheeks as she sat up in bed, ignoring the sharp pains in her body as she did. The room started to spin and she tried her best to focus as she felt Paul's hand against her arm.

"Steph, you need to lie down."

She turned to stare at him. Her eyes were big and frightened as she stammered in reply. "I-I have to get out of here. Quickly. Before he finds me."

Paul gently gripped her arm and his voice was calm as he tried to reassure her she was safe. "He's not going to find you, Steph. I promise."

She stared at him in disbelief as she reached out and touched his hand. She blinked in panic knowing she had to try and make him understand she was in danger. "He'll call the hospitals. He'll give them my name and he'll find out I'm here." she cried.

Paul shook his head as he got up from the chair and the mattress dipped underneath his weight as he sat on the bed beside her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. They were wide and terrified. As the tears rolled down Stephanie's cheeks, he wanted to comfort her. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her towards him. His hand moved up and down her back as she rested her head against his shoulder.

"He won't find out you're here. I promise."

Stephanie lifted her head at his whispered promise. Her eyes searched his face frantically. "How can you be so sure, Paul? I mean I'm in a hospital in Connecticut for God sakes. He's going to call round asking for me by name and he's going to find me."

Paul shook his head, calmly lifted his thumb and wiped her wet cheeks. "If he asks for you, he'll not find you, not if he uses your real name. I told them you were Stephanie Levesque. I told them you were my wife."

As his admission fell from his lips, he smiled at her tentatively. He just prayed she wouldn't be mad at what he had done. He had honestly thought he was doing the right thing. A huge wave of relief washed through him as her lips turned slightly upwards hinting at a smile.

"And no-one knows I'm here? I mean you haven't told my parents or anyone, have you?"

He shook his head. "It's just me and you."

Stephanie let out a shaky breath and she reached up, her hand cupping his face. "Thank you." she whispered as she fell against him, her head resting on his chest.

"I promised you I would protect you, Steph and I meant it." He paused as his big hand brushed her hair from her forehead, his mouth frowning with guilt. "I just wished I had protected you sooner."

He felt her head shake adamantly against his chin.

"No, Paul. You did everything you could." She lifted her head to look at him, her blue eyes shining with her gratitude. She owed him so much. She would be eternally indebted to him. "You saved me." Stephanie replied, choking back her tears.

Suddenly the reality of it all came crashing down on her. All the beatings and all the pain she'd been through hit her like a tonne of bricks. It was finally over. She didn't have to be so strong anymore. Her body began to shake as her sobs wracked her body. Paul pulled her close and she clung onto him, grateful that he was there for her, needing him more than she had ever needed somebody in her life before.

As she broke down, Paul closed his eyes and whispered reassurances in her ear. Her tears soaked through the material of his shirt. His hand rubbed her back softly, soothing her. He decided then and there he would hold off telling her about the baby. God knows she'd been through enough as it was. He'd wait until tomorrow when she would be a little bit stronger and he would be there for her then just like he was here for her now. Because Stephanie was the only thing that mattered to him right now. Everything else in his life would just have to take a back seat.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Jonathan opened the door to his house and slammed it shut behind him. As he passed the mirror in the hallway he stopped to look at his appearance. He was a dishevelled mess. His eyes were red and bloodshot. Dark stubble covered his face. The stale smell of alcohol lingered on his breath. Deciding he needed yet another drink, he made his way to his study to fetch one. He could smell around him the cheap scent of the nameless woman who had slept with him last night.

Jonathan opened the drinks cabinet and took out the bottle of whisky. He poured the brownish liquid into the crystal glass beside him then placing the bottle down, he lifted the glass and swiftly drowned his drink. He shuddered slightly as the alcohol flowed through his veins warming his body. He then placed the glass down and made his way towards the stairs. His lazy bitch wife was probably still in bed despite the late hour of the morning. He stumbled up the stairs as he made his way to their suite and frowned as his bleary eyes noticed she wasn't in bed. The sheets were crumpled and in his drunken state, he failed to notice the crimson marks that still stained the white cotton.

"Stephanie?" He called out her name as he shoved open the bathroom door and he scowled in anger when he noticed she wasn't there. "Where the fuck are you?"

His menacing voice echoed through the empty rooms. Snarling, he turned back towards the bedroom. His nostrils flared as he finally noticed the open closet. He roared angrily as he strode towards it, his hands flailing in a fit of rage against the empty metal hangers. Half her clothes were missing. He rushed towards their dresser and began pulling out the drawers. Her underwear was still there but as his hands threw it from the drawers, it was obvious some of it was gone. He pulled the drawer from the dresser and screamed as he threw it across the room.

"You stupid fucking bitch!!"

The different coloured undergarments lay scattered across the wooden floor. He clutched his hair tightly at his scalp as he stood there, the rage coursing through his veins. How could she do this to him? She was his fucking wife. She couldn't just walk away like that. She was nothing but a selfish bitch.

As he turned towards the window, he finally saw it. The pool of red liquid that lay on the wooden floor. Stephanie's blood. Suddenly his head started to pound. His eyes blurred as his hot tears pooled in his eyes. He wasn't going to cry. The bitch had deserved it. She had fucked him around screwing that bastard Hemsley behind his back.

As the voices in his head began torturing him, Jonathan screamed and fell to his knees. He placed his head in his hands and his heavy breathing filled the room. He sat there for a few moments just rocking back and forward. Suddenly, he lifted his head back. His grey eyes were cold and hard as he pushed himself to his feet. His voice was low and menacing.

"I'm going to find you, Stephanie. I'm going to find you and then I'm going to fucking kill you. I'll teach you to screw with me, you stupid bitch."

His jaw was clenched as he turned around slowly. Then he stormed out of the bedroom and slammed the door closed behind him.

* * *

Stephanie slowly opened her eyes as her head rolled over on the pillow. She could feel the sun on her face as it shone through the window pane. She opened her weary eyelids and let them adjust to the light. As she came round, she was conscious of the heavy weight against her legs. She looked down and smiled at the familiar blonde hair spread across the sheets. Her hand reached out and without thinking, her fingers lightly brushed through his long strands. It was comforting to know Paul was there. Since the moment he had brought her here, she was pretty sure he hadn't left her side. He had to be absolutely exhausted.

Sighing softly, Stephanie continued to play with his hair listening to his deep, heavy breathing. She smiled and realised that for the first time, in a long time, she felt different somehow. She felt free. Each moment that passed with no sign of Jonathan felt like a weight had lifted from her shoulders. Growing in strength by the hour, she had decided she wasn't going to live in fear any more. She was going to take control of her life and become the person she once was. The person she hoped she could be again. God she hated feeling so vulnerable and weak. She used to think she was a strong person. She never imagined she would find herself in the situation she was now, a victim of a bully. Why on earth hadn't she left Jonathan months ago? She should have had the courage to do it the first time he had struck her. She should have stopped the abuse right then and there and maybe things could have been different between them. Just then Stephanie absently chewed on her bottom lip and sighed. Who was she trying to kid here? Her circumstances wouldn't have changed at all. She still would have ended up where she was right at this minute, in this hospital bed. Jonathan was not the man she had thought he was. Maybe he never really had been in the first place.

A light knock at the door got her attention and quickly pulled her from her thoughts. Stephanie panicked slightly as the door began to open, her heart racing as it slowly revealed her visitor. She let out a sigh of relief as she realised it was her doctor. He smiled, his kind green eyes twinkling at her.

"Good morning Mrs Levesque."

She returned his smile, acknowledging him. Hearing her assumed name fall from his lips reminded her that she was safe. Jonathan wasn't going to find her.

"It's nice to see you awake although it looks like some of us are still fast asleep." the doctor commented lowly.

The small man chuckled to himself as he walked to the side of her bed. Stephanie smiled as she looked down at Paul who lay still undisturbed against her lap.

"How are you feeling this morning?"

She lifted her head towards the doctor. "Fine. I'm a little bit stiff and sore." she admitted.

The doctor smiled sympathetically. "It's not unexpected considering what you've gone through."

He paused for a moment shaking his head as he began to flick through her chart. "It's unbelievable what happened to you. I hope they catch the man that did it."

Stephanie smiled and nodded reluctant to say any more. She didn't want her words to incriminate her in any way. Not now the police had been to see them. It had been during the early hours of last night, a routine visit so they said. Apparently it was hospital policy that they be involved. They had asked her questions; questions that, thankfully, she'd already had the sense to prepare herself for. She had lied and told them she had been attacked in the street while she had been visiting her parents and hadn't seen her assailant. And somehow she had managed to persuade Paul to go along with her story. It had taken a hell of a lot of convincing on her part and he definitely wasn't happy about it. He still thought Jonathan should pay for what he had done but she had pleaded with him to help her and he had finally agreed albeit reluctantly. The truth was she just wanted to forget about Jonathan and put the past behind her. If she charged him, she had no doubt in her mind that being a lawyer he would instantly get bail and come after her. And inevitably kill her in the process.

"I'm just so sorry about the loss of your child. Hopefully your husband explained to you there was nothing we could do. You were already bleeding heavily when the paramedics brought you in."

Stephanie's breath caught in her throat, her eyes widening with her shock as she realised the full extent of the doctor's soft words. She shifted uncomfortably against the pillows as her stomach lurched making her nauseous. Paul's head still remained unmoving on the bed. It felt like lead against her thighs.

"The-the baby?" she eventually managed to stammer in confusion as his words swum in fuzzy circles in her head.

"I'm sorry. I thought you knew." the doctor explained apologetically.

Stephanie shook her head. Tears blurred her vision and she blinked them back furiously. The doctor placed his hand on her arm, concerned.

"Are you okay, Mrs Levesque?"

She wanted to scream back at him "no". Of course she wasn't okay. Even though she wasn't even sure how she felt right now she knew it was far from okay. It wasn't even close. But she didn't scream at him. Instead she swallowed hard and nodded, trying her best to keep her composure.

The doctor looked down at her. She could see the concern etched on his face. "I'll come back later, shall I? Give you some time to digest the news." he suggested.

Stephanie smiled at him briefly as her blue eyes watched him leave the room. She let out a shaky breath and her gaze shifted to Paul as he still lay fast asleep. He knew about the baby. Why hadn't he told her about it? Why had he felt the need to keep it to himself? He wasn't being fair and she needed answers. Answers that might help her find out if there was anything else he was keeping from her.

She shook his shoulder hard to wake him up. Paul let out a disgruntled moan as his head shifted. He lifted his hand to swat her away.

"Paul. Wake up." she instructed him.

Stephanie ignored the pain in her ribs as she shifted on the bed and the dull ache in her stomach which now only served to remind her of what she had lost. Instead she focused her attention on the man lying in front of her. She gave him another hard shake.

"Paul!"

His head shot up off the covers at the sound of her abrupt tone. His eyes blinked rapidly before they peered at her blearily through the strands of hair which covered his face.

"Whassup?"

"We need to talk."

Pushing back the hair from his face, Paul rubbed his eyes as he yawned loudly. Sitting back in the seat and stretching a little, he flinched. The pain in his back quickly reminded him that spending the night in a hospital chair was not the most comfortable position in the world. But he hadn't wanted to leave Stephanie alone for a second. His eyes eventually managed to focus on her as he came round. He immediately noticed the expression on her face was sombre and his mouth downturned with his concerned frown, his intuition telling him that something must have happened while he was asleep.

"Steph, are you okay?" he asked her.

"Why didn't you tell me about the baby?"

Her abrupt questioning left him momentarily stunned and Paul swallowed thickly wondering how she knew. It had to have been one of the doctors or the nurses. They must have told her before he had the chance and that left him feeling extremely guilty knowing that Stephanie had heard the news from a stranger. It should have come from him. He should have been the familiar face to break it to her gently.

His brown eyes were remorseful as he reached out and took her hand in his. Her slender digits felt tiny cupped in his palm. He squeezed them gently.

"I'm sorry, Steph. I was going to tell you, I swear." he began to explain. "I just wanted to protect you, I guess. You'd been through so much yesterday. I needed to be sure you were strong enough to cope."

Stephanie jerked her hand away as her stormy blue eyes orbs flashed back at him. "I'm not a total basket case, Paul. I could have handled it you know."

"I know you could. I wasn't implying any different."

"Weren't you? You should have told me Paul. You should have told me about the baby."

"I know. I know and I'm sorry. I am. I just thought I was doing the right thing." he said, sighing heavily.

"Well you didn't."

Stephanie's tone was harsh. Paul bit down on his lip as a wave of guilt washed through him once more. He took his hands from the covers and awkwardly placed them on his lap before glancing silently towards the linoleum floor.

Stephanie slowly closed her eyes feeling horrible for the way she was treating him. She knew she was being hard on him but she couldn't help herself. She was looking to lash out. She wanted Paul to hurt just like she was hurting. Because even although she didn't know she was pregnant, she still felt some sense of loss now she knew her baby was gone. A baby that had been a part of her and a baby she'd never get to welcome into the world. Knowing that killed her inside, the pain slowly consuming her. God, she'd never get to hold her child or watch them grow up. He or she was gone, lost to her forever.

Suddenly Stephanie felt the overwhelming need to cry. Hot tears burned at the back of her throat. She wanted to grieve the tiny life that was lost to her but she didn't want to break down in front of Paul. Not again. She hated looking so weak. He thought she couldn't cope as it was. She didn't want to give him further ammunition and fuel his suspicions.

She opened her eyes and looked over in his direction. His head was still bowed, his hair hiding his face from view.

"I want to be alone for a while." she told him softly.

Paul looked up. His brown eyes wore a pained, worried expression. "But Steph……"

Her hand touched his leg silencing him. Her big eyes pleaded with him to just understand.

"Please Paul." she whispered.

There was no mistaking the waiver in her voice and Paul could see her eyes glistening with tears. As much as he wanted to stay with her right now and try to comfort her, he knew he had to respect Stephanie's wishes and give her the space that she needed. Grief was a personal, private thing and he didn't want to intrude on that grief. Besides, he wouldn't know what to say to comfort her anyway. He'd never been a father. He'd never lost a child. He had absolutely no idea of what she was going through.

Reluctantly, Paul pushed back his chair. He didn't say a world as he slowly walked towards the door only pausing to slightly turn in her direction. "I'll be right outside if you need me." he told her.

A tear trickled down Stephanie's cheek as the door closed quietly behind him. She sniffed quickly turning her head to the side to bury her face in the pillow. Her body shook with her sobs as she began to let go. She cried for her unborn child and somewhere in amongst all her tears, she silently gave herself permission to cry for her too.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Paul hesitated outside her door reluctant to enter. He had lost count of the number of times he had raised his hand to knock only to chicken out and stop himself at the last minute. Instead he stood like an idiot in the corridor absently staring at the bunch of yellow roses in his hand. He had bought them as a peace offering over an hour ago but had yet to pluck up the courage to go in her room and give them to Stephanie.

Sighing, Paul leant his back against the whitewashed wall and his big hand pushed back his hair from his forehead. He paid no attention to the nurses as they scurried past him. All he could think about was Stephanie and what she was going through right now. It had been at least a few hours since she had asked him to leave and she had been alone all that time. He'd been sitting outside waiting and silently going mad in the process. He'd also had a lot of time to think and a lot of time to regret not telling her about the baby sooner. Keeping it from her had been a huge mistake and he realised that now despite his best intentions at the time.

Paul shifted his body against the wall and glanced down at the gold watch on his wrist. He didn't want to intrude on Stephanie's personal space but at the same time, he didn't want to leave her on her own for too long. Not when she was so frightened and scared. And despite her anger at him, she probably still needed him there with her. Or at least he hoped she did.

He'd finally gathered the courage to knock on the door when it opened, startling him. Paul quickly stepped aside as the doctor left the room. He smiled acknowledging him as the door clicked softly over.

"Ah there you are. Your wife has been asking for you."

Paul's lips curved up gently as his concerned brown eyes glanced at the door. "How is she?"

The small grey-haired man quickly nodded. "She's doing extremely well under the circumstances. In fact I'm happy to release Stephanie into your care. Your wife is free to go home Mr Levesque."

"Are you sure?"

Paul couldn't help but feel a little wary. It had only been a couple of days since Stephanie had been admitted to the hospital and he didn't want her health being compromised in any way.

The doctor quickly assured him. "Stephanie just needs time to heal now. She's probably better doing that at home in her own surroundings instead of being stuck here in a hospital bed."

Paul nodded his head in agreement and smiled.

"I've also given her some literature on counselling should she feel she needs it."

"Thank you, doctor."

"You're welcome. Just take good care of your wife, Mr Levesque. She's been through a lot."

Paul's expression was sad as he watched the small man disappear down the corridor. Stephanie had been through a lot. In fact she had been through hell and back and how she had survived he didn't know. But one thing was for sure. He was going to look after her. He was going to do whatever it took to get Stephanie back on her feet and keep her safe. He would personally make sure she would never go through that hell again.

Knocking on the door, Paul finally entered the room. The sun filtered through the closed blinds. Stephanie was propped up on the large pillows sitting silently watching him. Her blue eyes looked red and puffy and were filled with her sadness.

Paul cleared his throat as he hovered by the side of the bed. He gave her an awkward smile as he handed the flowers to her. "I got these for you."

Stephanie smiled gratefully and said nothing as she took them from him and closing her eyes, she brought the bouquet to her nose and breathed in their beautiful scent. They were a lovely gesture and only served to intensify her guilt over the way she had treated Paul earlier. Her hot tears burned her sockets.

"I'd put them in water but the doctor told me you're getting to come home."

Stephanie's eyes slowly fluttered open at the sound of his voice and she let out a shaky breath. Placing the flowers down in front of her, she lifted her head and looked at Paul. Her composure shook as she saw his obvious concern for her etched on his face and a solitary tear trickled down her cheek.

"I'm so sorry, Paul." she whispered.

She tried to gulp back the fresh batch of tears that threatened to fall but it was no use. They spilled over her lashes and rolled down her face. Paul instantly reached for her as he sat down on the bed, pulling her into his arms. His big hand gently rubbed her back as he tried his best to soothe her.

"You've got nothing to apologise for Stephanie." he told her softly.

"But I-I pushed you away." she stammered as she sniffed loudly. "And I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to do it."

Paul dropped a kissed her soft hair as he brushed his fingers through the tangled ends. "It's okay. You were upset and you needed some space. I totally understand that."

He lifted his head to look at Stephanie and her eyes were wide and scared as they searched his face frantically.

"I just don't know if I've got the strength to do this, Paul."

Paul's brown eyes were gentle and reassuring as his big hands curled around her face. His thumb grazed her cheek bone softly wiping away the wet track of her tears. "Of course you've got the strength. I know you do and deep down, you know it too."

He paused for a second as he smiled at her tenderly.

"You're an amazing woman, Steph. In fact you're the most amazing woman I know. You've been through so much shit yet here you are still fighting and still hanging on. You haven't given up so far and you can't give up now. I'm not going to let you. Not when I know how far you've come."

"But I'm scared, Paul." admitted Stephanie as she sniffed back her tears. "What if he comes after me? What if he finds me?"

Paul pressed his lips together and his expression was gentle but firm as he shook his head adamantly. "He won't find you, Steph. I promise you that. And even if there was the slightest chance he could find you, which there's not, then you don't have to worry because I'm going to be right there beside you. I'm going to protect you, Steph. I'm going to make sure Jonathan never lays a finger on you again."

Paul made that guarantee with such conviction that Stephanie was momentarily able to believe him and forget her fear over her husband. Instead she felt a wave of immense gratitude towards a man who had gone above and beyond for her, no questions asked; a man who had been there when she had needed him the most. Her hand reached up and touched his hair brushing it from his forehead affectionately.

"Why are you doing this for me?" she asked.

Paul's mouth curled up gently as he lifted his shoulder in a casual shrug. "You're a friend, Steph and I happen to have grown pretty fond of you." He leaned forward and kissed her forehead softly before a slow smirk gradually crossed his face. "Plus I've always been a sucker for a damsel in distress."

Stephanie let out a chuckle in spite of herself and Paul's eyes twinkled back at her as his finger affectionately tucked her under her chin.

"Now that's much better."

"What's better?"

"You. You're smiling."

Stephanie bit down on her lip shyly as a lopsided grin slowly lit up her face. "Well if I am, I've got you to thank for it."

Paul's eyes crinkled with his grin as his hands moved to rest on her shoulders. "What can I say? I'm a constant source of amusement."

"Well you said it."

His brow furrowed with his playful frown. "I'm putting a roof over your head, McMahon. You shouldn't insult me."

"Why not? It's way too easy."

"Oh you think so?"

"Uh huh."

"Then I think I'm going to have to set a few ground rules for you to try and keep you in line."

Stephanie rolled her eyes in amusement as she pushed back the heavy covers. "Tell you what. I'll let you think about them while I get dressed."

Paul stood up and watched as she manoeuvred herself slowly to the edge of the bed. He held out his hand and she gratefully accepted it as he helped pull her to her feet.

"Do you want me to help you with your clothes?"

"And give you a free peep show? I don't think so."

Paul chuckled as he brought over her case from the corner. He placed it on the bed and opened it for her. Her clothes lay heaped in a crumpled mess and he winced before looking at her apologetically. "Sorry about the packing. I kinda grabbed a few things in a hurry."

"I can see that." she said lightly chuckling as she pulled out her track pants and a sweater that would be easy for her to pull on. She placed them under her arms and reached out to take Paul's hand in hers. She smiled at him as she squeezed it gently. "Thank you. You honestly don't know how much this means to me."

"You're welcome." He smiled and winked at her. "Now will you hurry up and get dressed? We've got a home to go to."

He dropped his arm by his side and watched Stephanie shuffle to the bathroom. He let his smile linger on his face happy she was in better spirits but he wasn't fooling himself. He knew it would be a long road while she recovered. The physical scars would heal in time but it was the mental scars he was worried about. He had seen the terror in her eyes. Stephanie was petrified. Maybe once they were home and settled, he would discuss the counselling with her. They also had to decide what they were going to do about Vince and Linda. He knew for a fact they would be worried sick about their daughter. But all that could wait. Helping Stephanie recover was his main priority now and he was going to get her through this no matter what.

He hadn't been lying when he told her that he had grown fond of her. He truly had. Watching her during the last couple of days had been absolute torture for him. It totally killed him inside to see Stephanie in such pain. He cared about her a lot which of course had only gone and manifested a completely different set of problems for him. Problems that he didn't have the guts to admit to herself despite the voices in his head telling him that maybe he cared for her just a little too much.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

The car pulled into the driveway and the low sun shone down through the trees reflecting on the windshield. Stephanie felt the warm rays as they danced upon her skin and a gentle smile crossed her face as they approached the large white house. This would be her sanctuary. A place where she could finally feel safe. And for the first time since leaving the hospital, she began to relax. She honestly hadn't been able to before now despite Paul reassuring her and never leaving her side for a second.

On the entire cab journey from the hospital to the airport she had still been convinced that Jonathan would come after her. That somehow he knew where she was and was just biding his time before he would announce his presence to her. Even on the plane she had felt uneasy in her own skin. Her eyes had darted around the cabin nervously checking for those cold, familiar features, features that now instilled fear and terror inside her heart. But thankfully her fear was all in her imagination and Jonathan hadn't found her. He hadn't been waiting for her when their plane had finally landed in Boston or even when they had gotten into Paul's car at the airport. And with each mile they travelled, they put even more distance between one another and she could feel the weight finally begin to lift from her shoulders.

"This is us." Paul announced as he switched off the engine lifting Stephanie from her thoughts. His brown eyes smiled at her as he shifted in his seat to face her. The black leather seat creaked lightly underneath him. Stephanie continued to stare straight ahead, her finger absently twirling a strand of her hair.

"It looks very nice." she said pressing her lips together in an approving smile and turning to face him. "It's a big house."

"Well, your father does pay me quite handsomely so I can afford big." Paul replied, grinning as he playfully nudged her with his elbow. "And of course, I'm worth every penny."

Stephanie snorted with laughter but that laughter turned into a grimace as a sharp pain shot through her ribs. Her arm instinctively wrapped around herself.

"Are you okay?" asked Paul in a concerned tone.

Stephanie nodded as she let out a slow breath. "Just don't make me laugh. It hurts too much."

He smiled sympathetically. His body shifted as his big hand reached for the door handle. "Come on. Let's get you inside."

Stephanie watched him get out of the car. Her eyes followed him as he made his way round to her side of the vehicle. The wind outside blew his hair across his face as he opened her door. He pushed it behind his ear with one hand while he held out the other towards her. She accepted it gratefully and shivered as she stepped out of the car. The icy breeze penetrated her skin as the sun disappeared behind the ominous black clouds.

Paul closed the door behind her as he squeezed her hand gently. "Let's get you inside. It's freezing out here."

He guided her towards the door as he fumbled in his jeans pocket. He smiled as he pulled out the key and he placed it in the lock, opening the door.

"You go on ahead. I'll just grab your bag and bring it inside."

Stephanie smiled and nodded as she made her way into the house. As she wandered through the hallway, her blue eyes eagerly took in her surroundings. The decor was modern and extremely plain. The smooth cream walls and the light oak flooring continued through to the living room. The rain had started to fall outside trickling down the glass on the large bay window. Stephanie frowned slightly as she continued to look around her. The furnishings were sparse and it certainly looked like Paul hadn't accumulated much in the time he had been here. There were only two black leather sofas with a huge television in the corner. Either he liked the minimalist look or Joanie had cleaned him out when she had left. She wouldn't put it past the jacked up bitch to take him for everything he owned.

"As you can see, I don't really like clutter."

Stephanie turned and smiled at Paul as he placed the bags down at his feet. He shrugged off his coat and threw it over the back of the sofa. His navy t-shirt pulled across his massive chest as he placed his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

"It's nice though. And surprisingly, it's clean and tidy too."

Paul pretended to scowl. "What do you mean surprising? I'm a clean and tidy guy."

She snorted back at him. "You're kidding me right? I've shared a dressing room with you, remember? I've lost count of the number of times I've tripped over your boots or sat down on some item of clothing that belonged to you."

She paused as she turned her head catching a whiff of something that smelt like lemons. She took a few steps forward as she sniffed the air.

"I do believe I even smell furniture polish."

"I'm surprised the princess knows what furniture polish is never mind what it smells like."

Stephanie turned round to scowl at him catching the amused grin that lit up his handsome face. "I do know how to clean you know." she retorted.

"Of course you do. Once a month when you give your maid some time off."

"For your information, I don't have a maid. I can do everything myself." she announced haughtily as she slowly approached Paul. Her manicured finger pointed at his firm chest.

"You, on the other hand, obviously don't. Someone has been in and cleaned this place for you."

Paul grinned, his brown eyes twinkling at her. "Yeah, but it's not a maid. It's my mother."

Stephanie rolled her eyes dryly and did her best to stifle a yawn as she lifted her hand to her mouth.

"You tired?"

Stephanie slowly nodded her head as her hand dropped to her side. She bit down on her lip as Paul's fingers brushed her hair behind her ear.

"I'll show you your room. You can have a nap and I can make us some dinner."

"The Game cooks?"

Paul chuckled as he shook his head, his soft hair moving across his shoulders. "Yeah, I can cook. Just don't expect anything gourmet or even unburned." He turned round and picked up her bag. "Come on, McMahon. It's just at the top of the stairs."

She followed on behind him as he made his way up the wooden staircase and as she got to the top, she saw him open the white painted door in front of him.

"Here we go."

She walked in and smiled as he dumped her bag at the foot of the king sized bed. Her eyes took in the plain décor and the pale blue covers.

"Your bathroom is just behind that door on the left. There's some clean towels and stuff in there."

She turned to smile at him. "Thank you."

Paul winked. "You're welcome. Now can I get you anything before I go?"

Stephanie shook her head and watched him as he left the room. As she wandered over towards the bed, she became conscious of the sound of the rain. The loud pitter-pattering began to make her feel uneasy and she wrapped her arms protectively around herself. It had been raining that night when Jonathan had beaten her. She could remember it vividly. She had been lying on the bed with blood trickling down her chin as the rain pounded against the window pane. As her husband had roughly taken her, she remembered zoning him out and instead her mind had drifted to that constant pitter-patter of the raindrops.

Stephanie swallowed hard suddenly feeling a little shaky. She didn't want to be alone. The thought of being on her own suddenly terrified her. She watched the door as it began to close behind him. The shadows of the rain fell against the wood. She panicked, quickly calling out his name.

"Paul!"

Her fingers wrung together anxiously as his head popped through the open door. Her heart was pounding madly in her chest.

"Yeah?"

Stephanie pushed back the lump in her throat and smiled at him meekly. "Would you mind staying with me a while?"

Paul smiled gently as he stepped through the door. Sit was obvious Stephanie was scared. He could hear it in the waiver in her voice and he could see the way she was anxiously twisting her fingers. He nodded his head as he slowly approached her and a relieved smile crossed her face. He would stay with her until she was settled and had fallen asleep. He lifted his thick arm and gestured towards the chair in the corner.

"I'll be right here."

Stephanie nodded her head as she sat down on the bed. She kicked off her shoes and lifted her legs slowly and carefully as she lay down on the blankets. Her back was turned to Paul. She shifted her head, breathing in the scent of the soft pillow. It was fresh and reminded her of cotton. She closed her eyes and she tried to rest as the rain continued to fall heavily outside. An image of Jonathan hovering above her suddenly clouded her thoughts and the cold stare he wore sent a chill down her spine. She snapped her eyes open and turned over. She ignored the sharp pain in her side as she looked over at Paul. His concerned brown eyes were watching her. Suddenly she felt the need to feel safe. To be protected. All she wanted to do was fall asleep in his arms. "Paul, will you lie beside me and hold me? Please?"

He couldn't help but hear the vulnerability and desperation in her voice. Paul nodded as he quickly pushed himself off the chair and made his way to the bed. He took off his shoes and lay down beside her. The mattress creaked under his weight as he shifted his body towards her. Stephanie turned on her side, her back facing his chest. The shadows cast a grey darkness across the room.

"Try and get some sleep" Paul hushed as the tip of his finger ran gently over her shoulder and down her arm. Stephanie shifted closer as she grabbed his hand and pulled his arm around her. She could feel his warm breath against her ear. His deep and even breathing soothed her a little. The faint scent of his cologne was comforting and she let out a calming sigh.

"I'm going to keep you safe, Steph. I promise."

A small smile traced her lips as she closed her eyes. She could still hear the falling rain but with Paul just next to her, she didn't feel so afraid any more. His whispered promise echoed in her head comforting her. Stephanie wasn't sure how many minutes had passed before finally she gave in to the tiredness that consumed her and eventually drifted off to sleep in his arms.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Jonathan stared at the crystal glass in his hand. He made a circular motion and watched the amber liquid spill against the sides. The loud ticking of the large wooden grandfather clock in the study broke the endless silence. It had been a wedding gift, an inherited gift if you will from his aunt. He loved it. He remembered being fascinated by the clock when he went to visit her as a child. She had it in her hallway. He would sit on the bottom step of the staircase listening to the constant ticking eagerly awaiting the chimes as it struck every hour. Of course Stephanie had hated it. Her nose had scrunched in disgust when it had arrived at the house. She found it old and ugly much like his aunt. She had no time for the woman who had raised him from a young child and the feeling was entirely mutual on Mildred's part. She didn't like Stephanie either. Then again, she never would approve of the woman who had taken away the man she considered a son. Mildred was a spinster. He was her only chance at a family. When his parents had been killed in the car accident that cold November morning, it had been Mildred who had consoled after him. It had been Mildred who had looked after him and then raised him from a six year old boy to the man he was now.

The clock chimed beside him eight times. On the eighth chime, Jonathan placed the glass to his lips. He closed his eyes and gulped down the drink, grimacing as it burned the back of his throat. It had been three days. Three days since Stephanie had left him. He had no idea where she was and he couldn't contact her parents or her friends looking for her. He wasn't sure he could trust the bitch to keep her mouth shut. Who knows what she had told them. Then again, on the other hand, no-one had called on him. No-one had come here beating his door down. Jonathan was quite sure that if Vincent Kennedy McMahon knew the truth, he would be here, wanting revenge for laying his hands on his precious daughter. But for those three days there had been nothing but silence. This meant there was a good chance his wife had been smart enough to say nothing and Stephanie would keep silent if she knew what was good for her. The fucking bitch was in deep trouble as it was. The last thing she wanted to do was piss him off even further.

Jonathan drunkenly reached for the whisky bottle. His shaky hand poured another glass. He had to find her. He needed to bring her home. Didn't she realise she belonged to him? Who the fuck did she think she was just leaving him like this? He was her husband. She had a duty to him. Stephanie seemed to have forgotten that fact. One thing was for sure, when he got her hands on her, she would never forget it again. He would make a couple of calls in the morning. The bitch was going to learn her lesson. No one screwed with Jonathan Brooke. Absolutely no one.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Paul tried to clear his throat as he made his way out of the kitchen. The inhaled smoke caught in it right at the back and he could taste the charred remains of what was supposed to be dinner. He lifted his t-shirt and grimaced. The smell of burnt chicken lingered around him. Thankfully the rain had diffused any flames when he had thrown the damn baking tray outside. There was no need for the fire brigade, well not today at least.

Paul shook his head in amusement as he climbed the stairs to take a shower. He really had to learn some skills now he was single. His talents in the kitchen were extremely limited and God knows he certainly wasn't big on the whole domesticity thing. His mother knew this fact hence the reason she sent him food regularly and cleaned the house. She looked after him and was a god send especially now Joanie was gone. Although Joanie certainly hadn't been Martha Stewart in any shape or form and Paul had a feeling Stephanie wouldn't fare much better when it came to household chores. But being brought up with a silver spoon in her mouth meant she probably didn't have to do a single chore in her life. Still, that didn't mean she didn't know what hard work entailed. Stephanie was one of the hardest working people he knew and that included her father.

Paul paused in his tracks outside the spare bedroom door. He was tempted to check on Stephanie. He had left her sleeping soundly but he wanted to make sure she was okay. She had been absolutely terrified earlier. Her wide blue eyes had practically pleaded with him when she had asked him to lie with her. Not that there was any chance he would have refused the chance to be close to her anyway.

Paul shook his head deliberately stopping that train of thought as he opened the door.

He walked slowly towards the bed where Stephanie lay. The rain had stopped and the room was silent. The sky had cleared and the white rays of moonlight fell through the window illuminating her face. Paul smiled to himself as he watched her. Stephanie looked beautiful despite the heavy purple bruising across her cheek and her face was momentarily peaceful.

He decided to leave before he disturbed her and had just turned towards the door when he heard her stir in her sleep. Stephanie's body shifted against the sheets and her hand shot out, hitting the mattress. She muttered something in her sleep, obviously dreaming.

Paul couldn't resist the pull towards her. He sat down beside her on the bed, the covers crinkling underneath him. His hand rested gently on her thigh. He had spent a long time earlier just watching her sleep, well at least until the sky had turned black and the clouds had shifted. His heart had clutched in his chest every time he played her words over and over in his head. It had been on the plane that Stephanie had finally told him what Jonathan had put her through. In a hushed and tearful voice she had explained the horror she had been lived with and the pain she had suffered. It had made him physically sick to his stomach and he felt a surge of rage every time he thought about that bastard laying a finger on her.

Paul clenched his jaw tightly. His hand moved from her thigh to rest against her stomach. He still felt a tremendous amount of guilt over what Stephanie had suffered through. Despite her telling him there was nothing he could have done, Paul still thought he could have done more. He should have seen the signs. God knows he should have suspected something was going on. The evidence of her pain would have been there if he had just looked. But he just hadn't cared enough to see them. He had let her down.

"No" Stephanie murmured as her head turned to the side. Her body twitched against him. "Jonathan, please. No!"

Paul's hand moved to her cheek and he grazed it gently, trying to console her. "Steph, wake up."

Her head shifted on the pillow. He heard her gasp.

"No. Please. The baby. No. Not my baby."

Paul felt a lump at the back of his throat as he heard her tortured cry. He shook her in an attempt to waken her. "Stephanie, come on. Open your eyes. Wake up."

It took a moment but eventually his gentle voice woke her. Her eyes fluttered opened. Stephanie moved her head sharply and gazed at him disorientated.

"It's okay, Steph. I'm right here."

He saw her blue orbs glisten as the tears sprung to her eyes. A whimper escaped her lips as she brought her hand to her mouth. He watched a solitary tear trickle down her cheek and his brown eyes wore a tender expression as his fingertips lightly brushed back her soft hair. "It was a dream, Stephanie. It was just a dream."

His hand dropped to rest on her shoulder and she looked at him. Her big blue eyes were sad and frightened.

"He killed our baby, Paul." she whimpered.

"I know and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." he hushed as his hand rubbed her shoulder softly.

Stephanie sniffed loudly as the tears fell down her face. Her blue eyes watched him anxiously as she pushed herself up the bed. Paul's hand fell to rest on her leg as she wiped at her face. There was something preying on her mind, something she needed to ask him. "Is it wrong do you think? I mean does it make me a horrible person?"

Paul looked at her, confused by her question. He rubbed her leg gently. "Steph, losing that baby was not your fault. You can't think like that."

"But I'm relieved, Paul."

Stephanie let out a shaky breath at her admission. Her wet cheeks glistened in the moonlight and her eyes were wide as she looked at him. She clutched her hands together tightly in her lap.

"I'm relieved because I didn't want his baby." she explained. "I didn't want a child that tied me to Jonathan or reminded me of him in any way." She paused, pushing back the lump in her throat as fresh tears welled in her eyes. "Because as much as I would have loved my child, I'm so glad I don't have to watch him or her growing up knowing what kind of a man they have for a father. Reminding me of everything I went through, what Jonathan put me through. See I want my baby to be conceived out of love not fear." she said, finally choking on her sobs. "G-God, I'm so horrible for even thinking this way."

Paul quickly shook his head as he gently pulled her into his arms. His hand rubbed her back soothingly. "No, you're not, Steph. You're not horrible at all. The relief you feel? Well it's totally understandable to me. You've been through so much and you can't beat yourself up for feeling like this."

He licked his lips closing his eyes as she continued to cry. Each sob tore at his heart.

"Maybe losing the baby was just meant to be." he told her softly.

Stephanie slowly lifted her head sniffing back her tears. Her swollen eyes frantically searched his face. "You think so?"

Paul lifted his shoulder in a shrug. "Why not? I mean I'm not a huge believer or anything but I reckon God gets to have some say in our lives. Things happen for a reason. Maybe……well maybe he just wanted to give you a chance to live the rest of your life happily and without any ties to Jonathan. Without living in fear."

Stephanie sniffed. A hint of a smile tugged at her lips. "That's a nice thought."

"Yeah. I happen to think so."

She lifted her hand to wipe at her eyes and her head turned towards the window. She smiled as she saw the peaceful night sky. "The rain has stopped." She sniffed again as she looked at Paul. The moonlight danced in his eyes. "How long have I been asleep?"

Paul shrugged. "A couple of hours."

Stephanie shifted forward on the bed. As she got closer to him, she inhaled. Her nose wrinkled in amusement. "Paul, you smell of smoke."

He bit down on his lip embarrassed, brushing his hair behind his ear. "Yeah, well, I had a little problem with dinner."

She chuckled lightly as her hands rested on the mattress and she leaned back against the pillows. "Did I sleep through the sirens?"

"Funny McMahon. Real funny." He tapped her playfully on the nose with his finger. "I'll have you know I managed to put the flames out all by myself."

Stephanie laughed then winced as the pain shot through her ribs. She gritted her teeth together hissing loudly.

"Are you okay? Do you need your medication? I think it's in your bag." Paul said, fussing over her.

She shook her head as she rested her hand on his arm. "No. I'm okay. It's passed. I'm good."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

"Well, in that case, I'm going to grab a shower before dinner."

Stephanie felt the mattress move underneath her as Paul pushed himself off the bed. She watched him pull his t-shirt over his head. Her blue eyes admired his muscular torso as he stepped towards the door and into the moonlight. He scrunched the material into a ball in his hands.

"The takeout menus are in the drawer in the kitchen if you want to have a look." He flashed her a smile across the dull shadows of the room. "I'm not going to risk burning the place down a second time tonight."

Stephanie smiled as she watched him leave the room before softly calling out to him. "Paul?"

His head popped back round the door. "What?"

"Well I just wanted to say hank you. I'm so grateful to you. For everything."

"You know you won't be thanking me when I've set you alight."

Stephanie chuckled lightly ignoring the pain in her ribs.

"But you're welcome McMahon."

Paul winked at her before he left and Stephanie listened to the sound of his feet as they padded down the hallway. She forced herself to smile as she tried to ignore the images in her mind still fresh from her dream. Instead her hand went towards her ring finger where she felt the bare flesh. A sense of satisfaction washed over her as she realised they were gone. She had taken her wedding rings off. It was the first step towards her freedom and now she just had to find a way to get Jonathan out of her life for good. She knew it was unrealistic for Paul to hide her away here forever. She had to find some other way to escape him, a way of starting her life all over again. It was only a matter of time before her husband found her. Then he would kill her. She had no doubt about that at all.

Stephanie's chest tightened as the reality of her situation came crashing down. She felt herself start to panic and she released a shaky breath in an attempt to stay calm. After all it was safe to be here for the time being. But unfortunately not for long. Once she had recovered, she knew she had to leave. It was for her own safety and it was just a matter of where and when. After all the fear would keep her running. She couldn't risk being hunted and honestly she didn't have a choice. Not any more.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

"Fuck!"

Stephanie jumped, slightly startled by Paul's loud cursing. She placed her magazine down on the wooden table and turned around frowning as she saw him place his finger in his mouth and suck cautiously on the tip. "Are you okay?" she asked.

Paul nodded his head as he removed his finger from his mouth. His nose wrinkled and he cursed again under his breath as he saw the blood continue to trickle down his long digit.

"You should run it under the tap." Stephanie advised as she pushed back her chair and walked over to the sink. She tucked her hair behind her ear and began to roll up the sleeves of her sweater.

"That fucking hurt." said Paul as he stood next to her holding up his finger and watching her turn on the cold water.

"Hold it under there."

He placed his bloody finger under the tap watching the reddish discoloured water run into the drain. He leant his hip against the sink and looked up to see Stephanie opening the cupboard doors.

"Where do you keep your bandages and stuff?"

He shifted his feet as he changed position at the sink. He pulled up the waist of his track pants. His finger was starting to feel numb. "There should be a small first aid box in the last cupboard on the right."

He turned his attention back to the water which was now a faint pink colour.

"Got it!"

Paul lifted his head as Stephanie placed the box on the counter beside the sink and watched her remove a strip of band aids.

"How did you manage to cut yourself anyway?"

He blinked and lifted his hand to rub at his eye. "I missed the stupid carrot and got my finger instead."

Stephanie shook her head as she peered towards the sink. "Well it looks like the blood has stopped." She reached across and turned off the tap. She stretched across and picked up the small hand towel before holding out her hand towards Paul. "Let me see."

He stood in front of her as she took his finger in his hand. He saw her smirk as she examined the small cut. "I think you'll live." she commented before she began to dry off his finger with the towel dabbing the small trickle of blood that still seeped from the wound.

Paul's brown eyes twinkled with amusement as he watched her tend to his wound. "You ever think about becoming a nurse?"

Stephanie heard the teasing lilt in his tone and pretended to throw him a dirty look as she tore off a band aid.

"I think you'd have a wonderful bedside manner." he continued, smirking. "Not to mention how hot you would look in that little nurse's outfit."

Stephanie shook her head as she began to wrap the band aid around his thick finger and looking up, she saw his amused grin. She couldn't help but smile too as she let go of his hand. She shoved his shoulder playfully as Paul peered at his bandage inspecting her handiwork. "Sit down Levesque. The loss of blood is clearly going to your head."

Paul declined her offer gesturing towards the unprepared vegetables. "I need to finish making dinner first."

But just as soon as the words were out his mouth he was being guided towards the table.

"Trust me. You'll be doing me and yourself a favour if you let me cook dinner tonight." Stephanie said.

Paul pretended to scowl as he sat down on the chair. He clicked his tongue and shook his head as he crossed his huge arms in front of him and leant back in the seat. "I don't know. I offer to feed you and this is the thanks I get."

Stephanie picked up the knife from the chopping board. She grimaced slightly at the sight of his blood on the sharp steel. She looked over at Paul as she walked to the sink to wash it clean. "It's not that I'm not grateful. I just fancy living that little bit longer that's all."

"The rate you're going, you'll be lucky to make it through the weekend."

She laughed as she rinsed off the knife. As she turned back round, she saw Paul watching her. Her smile faded at the serious expression that crossed his face as he pulled out the chair directly beside him.

"Sit down a minute, will you?"

Stephanie watched him guardedly as she sat down beside him and placed the knife beside the open magazine lying in front of her. His brown eyes were concerned as they scanned her face.

"There's something I think we should discuss."

She licked her lips as she rested her elbows on the table already having an idea what Paul wanted to talk about. In fact, she was surprised he had waited until now but it was as if he had sensed she needed time and over the past few days, he hadn't broached the subject of Jonathan at all. She was grateful for that. She heard Paul clear his throat. He began to wring his hands together in front of him as he glanced down at the table.

"RAW is in a couple of days. We're going to have to make a decision about me going back to work." He tilted his head upwards and pressed his lips together.

Stephanie sighed, her sombre expression matching his. "I know."

Paul shifted in his seat. He leant forward and reached across the table to cover her left hand with his. He noticed her fingers felt cold. "I don't want to go and leave you on your own, Steph. But if I don't show up, your Dad is going to wonder why."

She slowly nodded her head in agreement. Paul never took time off. Even when he was ill and had come down with the flu last year, he still insisted on wrestling. If he suddenly missed a show, her dad would immediately become suspicious. Although what he would be suspicious about, she wasn't sure. He knew she was written out of the storyline until the end of the month. He didn't expect his daughter to be there. After all, he was the one that had granted her the time off a couple of weeks ago. And while it was unusual that she hadn't spoken to her parents in over a week, she knew they weren't worried about her. Her cell phone hadn't rung once in all the time she had been here.

"So what are we going to do?" asked Paul interrupting her train of thought. His brown eyes were watching her intently and Stephanie lifted her shoulder in a shrug clasping her right hand over his and managing a small smile.

"You go to RAW like nothing has happened."

"But what about you?"

"I stay here. I mean, you'll only be gone a couple of days."

Paul bit down on the inside of his lip and slowly shook his head in disapproval. "I don't like the thought of you being alone, Steph."

Stephanie glanced away swallowing thickly as the fear gripped the back of her throat. The truth was she didn't like the thought of being alone either. In fact, the thought of it terrified her but what terrified her more was Jonathan coming after her. He was a devious bastard. He would watch the show to see if she was there. If he saw Paul was missing too, he would suspect where she was and come after her. She couldn't risk that happening. Right now, she just didn't have the strength to run from him. So she was left with only one choice. She had to try and convince Paul that she would be okay. It was her only chance of staying safe.

"I'll happily stay here if you want me too." said Paul, softly.

She lifted her eyes and shook her head. She smiled as she squeezed their joined hands touched by the concerned expression on his face. "You have to go, Paul. We don't really have a choice in the matter."

He nodded his head knowing what she said was true. "Fine. But I'll only leave on one condition."

"And what condition is that?"

"You let my Mom stay with you."

Stephanie quickly pulled her hands away as she realised the truth and glared angrily at Paul as her heart began to pound in her chest. "Your Mom knows I'm here, doesn't she?"

He slowly nodded his head. She pushed back her chair and stood up. Stephanie clutched her hair tightly as she began to pace back and forth.

"I don't believe this."

Paul slowly stood up from the table reaching out to touch her shoulder. He wasn't surprised when she shrugged him off. Her blue eyes were furious as whirled round to face him. Her hands gestured wildly in the air.

"I asked you. No, I pleaded with you not to tell anyone where I was, Paul. Don't you realise what you've done?" she screamed.

He touched her arm but she slapped his hand away. He sighed heavily. "Steph, I'm sorry. But I had to tell her."

"No you didn't!"

"Yes I did. You know she comes over here. I had to do something to stop her."

Stephanie stopped pacing and crossed her arms in front of her chest. She shook her head. Paul was certain there were tears in her eyes as she looked at him. "It's not safe for me to stay here any more."

"Of course it is."

Stephanie sniffed. "No. It's not, Paul. I…I just can't risk anyone knowing I'm here."

Paul stood in front of her and placed his hands on shoulders. This time she didn't shrug him off. Instead she looked at him with a sad, scared look in her eyes that tugged at his heart and made him want to hold her so tight. He wanted to protect her from every bad thing in the world. "No-one knows you are here, Steph."

"Your Mom does."

He sighed softly rubbing her arms reassuringly. "You know she's not going to tell anyone, Stephanie. God, she's as worried about you as I am. She just wants to help keep you safe and look after you when I can't be here."

Stephanie sniffed as she felt Paul pull her towards him. Her eyes closed over as she rested her head against his chest. His hand was rubbing her back soothing her and she could feel the warmth of his skin through the material of his black t-shirt. She felt her fear slowly begin to dissipate as Paul held her. There was something about being close to him that made her feel safe, that helped her believe that somehow she really could be free from her husband.

"I would never put you in any danger, Steph. You know that don't you?"

She slowly nodded against his chest and felt him place a gentle kiss in her hair.

"I'm going to keep you safe, Stephanie. I'm going to make sure Jonathan never has the chance to hurt you again."

As Paul continued to hold her, Stephanie wished with all her heart that she could believe him. That she could ignore the constant fear in the pit of her stomach that twisted into tight knots every time she thought about her husband. She knew she trusted Paul. She just wasn't sure if she trusted him with her life. Because the harsh reality was that Jonathan would kill her if he ever found her. Staying in one place and living here with Paul would be taking a huge risk. She just didn't know if it was a risk she was prepared to take.

Just then she felt Paul release her and step back. When she slowly opened her eyes, he was smiling. His brown eyes sparkled at her.

"Listen, how about after dinner we watch a movie?" he asked squeezing her shoulders.

Stephanie swallowed hard and forced a smile back grateful for the change in conversation. "Only if I get to pick which one we watch."

Paul's nose wrinkled with his trepidation. "It won't be anything slushy and romantic will it?"

This time her smile was genuine unable to contain her amusement at Paul's obvious disdain for chick flicks. "I'll try and pick something without the hearts and flowers."

"Then McMahon I think you have a deal. A movie it is." he replied grinning as he dropped his hands from her arms.

As he picked up the knife from the table, Stephanie watched him letting out a slow calming breath as she sat down. She knew without a doubt she didn't want to leave here. Not right now. And Paul was probably right anyway. No-one knew where she was. She was perfectly safe. Jonathan wouldn't find her and Paul had promised to protect her. She knew he meant it when he told her he wasn't going to let anything happen to her and she was doing her best to believe him. So everything would be fine in which case she'd just have to try and ignore that persistent voice in her head urging her to run and to run as fast as she could.


	19. Chapter 19

_Seeing how I kept you waiting for the last chapter, I thought I would post a second to make it up to you. Thanks again for all the wonderful feedback. I really do appreciate it._

Chapter 19

Paul groaned softly as he began to stir from his sleep. Feeling the cool air on his shoulders, he instinctively went to grab the covers. He frowned and his eyes slowly opened as he felt nothing around him. Yawning, he rolled onto his back and as he became aware of his surroundings, he realised the reason why he was so cold. He was lying on top of the covers. He must have fallen asleep while he was comforting Stephanie.

Paul rubbed his eyes as he turned his head to the side. He noticed the pillow beside him was crumpled and empty. Stephanie was up and awake and the open window leading to the adjoining balcony told him exactly where she was.

Paul sat up on the bed and yawned again once more. The mattress shifted underneath him. The bright moonlight shone into the room. Standing up, he tucked his hair behind his ears and couldn't help but worry that Stephanie was okay. He couldn't help himself. She had spent yet another night crying her self to sleep and he had only been able to hold her, helpless to do anything but try to comfort her.

Stretching his tired body, Paul made his way to the open window. The carpet felt soft underneath his feet. He saw Stephanie standing there, leaning against the railing. Her body was still as her long hair blew in the cool wind. Paul sighed softly. She'd been through so much pain and suffering for so long. All he wanted to do was take her into his arms and make it go away. Make all the horrible memories vanish from her mind and end her torture. But he couldn't. No matter how much he wanted to he just couldn't and he had to admit that it made him feel pretty fucking helpless.

Paul walked out onto the balcony. He shivered and felt the goose bumps appear on his arms as the frosty air hit his skin. He stood beside Stephanie, his thick fingers gripping the cold metal railing. She turned her head acknowledging him. The soft moonlight fell upon her face. He smiled at her gently. "Hey there."

"Hey." she replied, returning his smile. A small gust of wind blew her hair across her face. She lifted her hand to brush it away, tucking the locks behind her ear.

"Couldn't sleep?"

"Not really." She shifted across and nudged him playfully with her shoulder. "Your snoring kept me awake."

"I do not snore." Paul protested. His brown eyes were big and wide.

"If you say so."

"I do say so."

"You would."

Paul frowned. He shifted his body round to face her with his hand still holding onto the railing. "And may I ask what's that supposed to mean?"

Stephanie chuckled as she adjusted the belt on her cream silk robe. Her blue eyes sparkled prettily in the moonlight. "You can but that doesn't mean I'm going to give you an answer."

"And why not?"

She grinned and she shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe I just want to bug you."

Paul smirked as he moved away from the edge of the small balcony. "You always bug me McMahon. In fact, you seem to make a habit of it."

Stephanie scowled. "I do not."

He shrugged as he gave her a cocky smile. "If you say so."

Stephanie bit down on her lip to stop the wide grin from spreading across her face. Being with Paul always somehow managed to lift her spirits. "You do know you're a pain in the ass."

Paul took a couple of steps towards her absently brushing back his hair from his forehead. "Maybe you should remember that this pain in the ass is putting a roof over your head. It wouldn't hurt you to be a little nicer to me."

"I am nice to you."

"Sure you are." He lifted his hand and started to count on his thick fingers one by one. "You mock my cooking skills. You hog my television. You eat all the ice cream. You tell me I snore." He shook his head as he threw his hands dramatically in the air. "Now you've resorted to name calling."

Stephanie smiled as she leant against the railing. She crossed her arms over her chest as she tossed her hair from her face. "In my defence though, you really can't cook. You have no taste in movies and I really don't think you should be eating ice cream. It might make you fat." She paused to smirk at him playfully. "We can't afford to have our champ out of shape. It looks bad for business."

Paul snorted as he stood in front of her. "Fat?!" He shook his head as he pointed at his perfectly chiselled stomach. "Does this look fat to you?"

She giggled. She playfully placed her hand on his chest pushing him gently. "I never said you were fat. I said you might get fat."

Paul shook his head vehemently. "That will never happen."

"Oh that's right. I forgot. The Game's body is a temple."

"And don't you forget it Mrs Game." he replied, winking at her. He shivered and rubbed his arm as the cold wind penetrated his skin. He could hardly feel his face it was that numb. "We should get back inside. It is fucking freezing out here."

"Aw, are you feeling the cold?"

Paul nodded his head. His teeth had started to chatter.

Stephanie chuckled as he tugged on her hand and led her back into the bedroom. "You are such a wuss, Levesque."

He made a face at her as he closed the window behind him. His teeth continued to chatter as he hovered around at the end of the bed. Stephanie removed her robe and climbed under the covers, the mattress shifting underneath her. She was about to rest her head on the pillow when she saw Paul still standing there hesitantly. She lifted the covers up and held them open as she looked at him impatiently. "Are you going to stand there all night? Hurry up and get in bed."

A slow smile crept across his face as he walked around the side of the bed and got in.

"I thought my snoring kept you awake."

"I might have been fibbing about that one." Stephanie conceded as she snuggled underneath the covers. She immediately felt the warmth travel through her body. She could feel Paul softly shivering beside her as he faced her. She wrapped her arm around him, pulling him towards her and inhaling the faint mixture of cologne and soap. She rubbed his back gently in an attempt to warm him up. It was no wonder he was trembling. His skin was freezing cold.

"Are you trying to hit on me McMahon?" he asked, his brown eyes twinkling with amusement as the shadows fell softly across his face.

Stephanie tried to her best to disguise her smile as her hand rested on his hip. "Shut up and go to sleep, Paul."

"You are, aren't you?"

She shook her head as she leant it against his chest. Her eyes closed as she felt his arm slide across her waist.

"It's okay if you are, you know. I'm sure I'm a pretty irresistible guy."

Stephanie couldn't help but smile as she lifted his head and saw his cocky grin. "I think I might just manage to resist you."

As her head rested back against his gentle warmth, Paul's grin slowly faded. His laughter was replaced with genuine concern as his fingers played with the ends of her hair. "You are okay though, aren't you?"

"I am now."

Paul's eyes remained open as he lay there listening to her even breathing. He pulled her a little closer and tried to ignore how right it felt holding her like this in his arms. "I just can't stop worrying about you, McMahon." he whispered.

But he got no reply and Paul knew from her relaxed body that Stephanie was finally asleep. He was glad. She was so tired and she had been through so much. Stephanie needed to rest as much as she could.

As his fingers continued to gently brush through her hair, he felt her warm breath dance on his skin and tried his best not to think about how much he was dreading leaving her. God, he really hated the thought of her being alone without him there to protect her. The thought of anything happening to her killed him inside. Stephanie meant so much to him although maybe a little too much if he was being honest with himself. But it was so hard to stop himself especially now when he knew without any shadow of a doubt that he was falling for her. And he was falling hard. It was becoming almost impossible to ignore the slight shivers up his spine whenever Stephanie touched him or the weakness in his knees every time she flashed her beautiful smile his way. In fact, his feelings were becoming so strong that at times it terrified him. It even scared him to the point that he couldn't breathe. But he had to find a way to conceal it all because whatever feelings he had for Stephanie, they were his secret to keep. He would never tell her how he felt because he just couldn't. He wouldn't put her in that position. Stephanie needed him but only as a friend. Nothing could ever happen between them and he knew that. He got it. Jonathan had left her with so many deep emotional scars that getting involved with him or anyone else would be the furthest thing from her mind. And he was okay with that. He really was.

Paul sighed softly before closing his eyes and lowering his face to her hair. And as he breathed in the fresh flowery scent of her shampoo he allowed his lips to graze over the brown strands softly. The simple truth was he was in love with Stephanie and just loving her would always be enough for him. It just had to be.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Paul chomped on his gum as he walked down the corridor of the arena. He lifted his hand acknowledging a member of the ring crew who was leaning against the wall drinking coffee. His boots scuffed along the grey linoleum floor. There was a bunch of other wrestlers further down the hallway but Paul ducked his head down before they could see him. He wasn't in the mood for small talk right now. His flight had been delayed by two hours and he was tired not to mention extremely cranky. He yawned and rubbed his face wearily as he pushed open the door to his dressing room dumping his gym bag and his title belt on the small scratched wooden bench.

Paul flopped down beside his belongings as he checked out his surroundings. He smiled to himself as he took in the less than luxurious furnishings. The white walls were cracked and grubby and the floor looked like it hadn't been washed in weeks. It was nothing more than a small square box. It was obvious being the champ wasn't enough to get a decent room around the place. Sharing with the bosses' daughter was clearly the only way to get some perks. But with Stephanie's absence from the show lasting at least another couple of weeks, it looked like he was going to have to get used to his less than stellar accommodations.

Paul sighed and pushed back his blonde hair with his dark sunglasses. He stretched his long legs out as he grabbed the bottle of water from the pocket of his bag. As his thick fingers twisted off the cap, he found himself thinking about Stephanie. In fact, he'd been thinking about her constantly ever since he had left her at home. He couldn't help it. He had to admit he was worried sick about her. Since she had left Jonathan, this was the first time he had let her out of his sight. He felt such an overwhelming need to protect her. Every time he saw the lingering sadness in her wide blue eyes, he wanted to pull her into his arms and hold her tight. Like last night. Stephanie had had another nightmare while napping on the sofa. When she had woken up, her eyes had opened wide with fear and she had burst into tears. He'd rocked her in his arms until eventually she'd calmed down. Through shaky breaths and further tears, she'd sat beside him holding his hand until the small hours of the morning finally admitting the extent of the hell she had lived through the past six months.

Paul swallowed thickly. He took a mouthful of the water and tried to quell the anger he felt burning in his stomach every time he thought about what Stephanie had been through. She really had been through hell and back. How she had survived he did not know. One thing was certain. Jonathan was a dead man if he ever got his hands on him. He was going to choke the life out of the fucking sick bastard. He'd never ever once thought of putting his hands on a woman. That even included Joanie who had more than tried his patience on several occasions.

Paul licked his lips as he put down the bottle of water beside him. He reached into his pocket and took out his phone. He quickly dialled the number and placed it to his ear. He didn't know why but he just had to talk to her. To check she was alright. Thinking about Jonathan had definitely unnerved him.

"Hello?"

Paul shifted on the bench and crossed over his long legs in front of him. "Hey. It's me."

"Sorry, but do I know you?"

He smiled at the teasing tone in her voice. "I'm that tall, blonde, sexy guy. You know the one whose house you're currently staying in."

"Oh! You're that tall, blonde sexy guy."

"What do you mean that tall, blonde, sexy guy?" asked Paul as he absently picked at the chipped wood. "How many of us do you know?"

"Well, quite a few actually."

"Really?" he asked playing along.

"Yeah really. But don't worry. You're my favourite."

Paul chuckled as he leant back against the painted wall. He rested his big hand across his stomach. "Of course I am. None of those other jack-offs look as good as me."

"That's true. No-one fills a pair of wrestling trunks quite like The Game."

Paul's brown eyes twinkled and his deep laughter filled the small dressing room. "I think I can safely assume my mother isn't with you."

"I see you're smart as well as being tall, blonde and sexy."

"I am but you do know its hard work being this damn perfect." His smile faded as Stephanie laughed at the other end. "She is with you at the house though, isn't she? She hasn't left you alone?"

"Yes, she's here."

Paul felt a wave of relief wash over him.

"She's currently cooking us some dinner. Apparently I'll feel much better once I have a decent meal inside me."

Paul chuckled. "Food. That's my mother's answer to all problems."

"Well I'm looking forward to it. It will make a nice change to eat something that isn't burned or still jumping around on my plate."

Paul's brow furrowed as he replied in a mock scolding tone. "Hey, be nice. I do try my best." He smiled widely as he listened to her giggle.

"Aw, I know you do. It's just a shame your best could be considered lethal in all states."

"Very funny McMahon."

The soft knocking interrupted their conversation. He sat up on the bench and looked curiously at the door wondering who it could be. His soft breathing echoed down the line. As far as he knew no-one knew he was here. Then again, there were only a couple of hours until they were on air. He was never late for a show. It wouldn't take a genius to figure out he was around. He just hoped it wasn't Joanie. He hadn't seen her or heard from her since the day she collected her stuff from the house and that suited him just fine.

"Are you giving me the silent treatment now?"

Paul chuckled as he pushed himself off the bench and he made his way towards the door. "No but I damn well should be."

"Aw baby. Did I hurt your feelings?"

"You did but I'll live." His hand reached for the door knob when his voice filtered through the wooden door.

"Paul, are you in there?"

Shit. It was Vince. Paul grimaced as he backed slowly away. He couldn't answer while Stephanie was on the phone. He had to end the call first. "Just give me a second." he called out to him.

"Paul?" asked Stephanie.

He quickly turned around and spoke in a hushed tone. "Listen, I need to go. Vince is at the door."

"You know you can't say anything."

"I know, I know. I'll call you later after the show."

He hung up and quickly made his way to the door. Vince didn't like being kept waiting. He'd learnt that to his detriment a few years ago when he had been only a few minutes late for a meeting to negotiate new terms for his contract. He'd had his ass chewed off big time and it was a lesson he would never forget. Paul yanked the door open and saw a less than pleased Vince McMahon on the other side. He was frowning. His eyes peered past Paul curiously into the small dingy room.

"I'm not interrupting something, am I?"

Paul casually shook his head as he removed the glasses from his hair. He cleared his throat and stepped aside to let Vince into the room. "No. I was just taking a call."

Vince nodded his head as he walked into the dressing room. Paul placed the leg of his glasses over the front of his t-shirt and closed over the door. He let out a slow breath. He hoped he wasn't here to ask him questions about Stephanie. Although she had reassured him that he wouldn't, Paul wasn't so sure. When he turned around, he saw Vince standing by the bench watching him intently. Paul chewed on his gum and slowly wandered across to stand in front of him.

"So, what can I do for you Vince?" He crossed his arms across his massive chest.

"I just wanted to check you were happy with your segment tonight."

Paul nodded. "Sure." He didn't add that he wasn't exactly thrilled at the fact he didn't have a match. He had been looking forward to getting back in the ring.

"And you're fine after your match with Foley?"

"I'm one hundred percent."

"Good." replied Vince. He pressed his lips together in a small smile. His eyes scanned over Paul's face. "By the way Joanie came to see me this afternoon. She told me you two had broken up."

Paul nodded and shifted his feet. His arms dropped to his sides. He wasn't surprised she had been running her mouth off. He could only imagine what she had told him. No doubt he had been the bastard in the whole scenario. She had probably stuck it to him big time. Well, she could say or do whatever she wanted. He didn't give a crap. He had much more important things on his mind right now.

"I'm sure you won't let your personal life affect your behaviour backstage or in the ring."

Paul shook his head solemnly. "Vince, you know I wouldn't. You have my word."

Vince smiled. He reached up and slapped Paul shoulder lightly. "Good. Good."

He stepped back and adjusted the sleeve of his coat. "Well, I'll leave you to get ready."

Paul nodded and stood aside to let Vince past. He watched him place his hand on the door knob then slowly step back.

"Oh, before I go I meant to ask you. Have you heard from Stephanie?"

Paul swallowed hard. Against his better judgement, he slowly shook his head. Fuck. He hated lying to him but he had promised Steph. She still didn't want to tell her parents. He didn't understand why. All she was doing was protecting that sick bastard of a husband. But she had been so upset that he had agreed to go along with it. Her blue eyes had been so wide and scared. In fact, she had looked absolutely terrified.

"Neither have Linda or I. I guess she's too busy enjoying her vacation."

Paul forced himself to smile. It would break Vince's heart if he knew the truth. He loved his daughter. It would kill him to know the pain and the suffering she had been through. "I guess she is."

"Well, I've got things to do. I'll see you out there."

Paul sighed heavily as the door closed behind him pushing back his long blonde hair with his hand. He walked across to the bench and sat down. He bent over leaning his arms on his denim clad thighs. He had to tell Stephanie to call her parents before they got suspicious about her silence. She couldn't avoid them any longer. He just wished she would tell them the truth about everything. But it was her call to make and he wasn't going to force the issue. He knew she felt ashamed and that somehow she had let them down. Stephanie had admitted that to him although he couldn't fathom why she even felt that way. She had done nothing wrong. She had absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. He had even told her that as he held her in his arms and listened to her cry. Every single sob had tugged at his heart. He cared for her so much. He knew he would do anything for her and there was no doubt in his mind that he would do whatever he had to do to make her feel safe even if that included lying to Vince.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

"There you go, dear."

Stephanie smiled and accepted the mug of coffee from Patricia. "Thank you."

She wrapped her hands around it savouring the warmth. Glancing at the television she smiled as the chords of Paul's music struck. She couldn't help but snicker when she saw the arrogant look upon his face as he patted the gold belt draped across his shoulder. She loved Paul's character. Even before they began working together, she had been a huge fan. He was so charismatic and his wrestling skills were just immense. He was a really talented guy and he had such a passion for the business. No one could question his enthusiasm or his dedication. In fact, it was one of the many things she admired about him.

"It must be strange not being there."

Stephanie turned her head towards Patricia who had sat in the leather recliner chair across from her. She pressed her lips together and nodded her head. "It is."

She took a mouthful of coffee as she turned her attention back to the screen staring at it wistfully. The truth was she missed it really badly. She missed the adrenaline rush every time she stepped out in front of the audience. She missed rushing around backstage trying to pull off last minute changes to the show. She loved her job so much and she loved the business. It was the only thing that had kept her going the past six months. Somehow becoming immersed in her work had kept her from falling apart.

"I don't know where he gets it from you know. I keep telling him that his father and I didn't teach him to be mean like that."

Stephanie couldn't help but laugh at that comment. It was so true. After every show Paul would get a message on his phone saying the exact same thing. And every time he read it, his deep laughter would fill the dressing room. That was another thing she admired about Paul. His family meant so much to him. His first thought while he was being stitched up on the table a couple of weeks ago was for someone to tell his parents he was alright. She could tell he thought the world of them and she knew his parents felt exactly the same way about their son. They were so proud of him and they had every reason to be.

"You know this morning was the first time in a long time I've seen Paul looking so happy and rested."

Stephanie looked over at Patricia curious as to where this conversation was leading.

"Breaking up with Joanie was the best thing for him if you ask me."

She raised her brow in surprise. Although she agreed with Paul's mother, she always got the impression that she had liked Joanie and was supportive of their relationship. But then again, his parents would probably support anything their son did as long as it made him happy.

"I think Lynn actually celebrated when he told us the news."

Stephanie chuckled lightly. She took another mouthful of coffee. She'd only met Paul's sister once. She'd been backstage during one pay per view with her children when Paul had introduced them. Although their conversation had been brief, she had liked Lynn instantly. She had the same warm eyes as her brother and she had been friendly and extremely easy to talk to.

"But it's such a shame to see what an unhappy and mixed up woman Joanie has become this past year or so."

Stephanie pressed her lips together thoughtfully as she glanced back at the television. Paul was still cutting his promo. His big hand gestured to the audience as he paced around the ring. She sighed softly. "She hates my friendship with Paul. I think it caused a lot of problems between them."

She looked over at Patricia offering her a guilty smile. She was surprised again to see the small grey haired woman shake her head.

"Oh no dear. The problems were there long before that."

Patricia placed her cup down on the coffee table in front of her before resting back against the seat. She clasped her hands in front of her on her lap.

"Paul came to see us for a couple of days back in September. It was for Lynn's birthday. Anyway, Joanie wasn't with him. When I asked him why, he told me that there had been an argument. Granted, that wasn't unusual but it wasn't until afterwards he told me that he wasn't sure how much longer he could take it. I think Joanie's insecurities caused a lot of fights between them. It was obvious they were starting to wear him down."

Stephanie nodded knowingly. She'd witnessed enough arguments to know that those insecurities were usually the reason why she would shout and scream at him. Sure, Paul liked to flirt with women but it was always harmless. Stephanie knew without a doubt that he would have never cheated on Joanie. It was just a shame his girlfriend hadn't had the same trust in him otherwise they might still be together.

"I'm just glad he finally decided not to put up with it any more." Patricia smiled. "I know I'm probably biased because he is my son but Paul has grown into a wonderful young man. He deserves someone better than Joanie. He deserves someone who will really love him and take good care of him."

Stephanie nodded in agreement. "And I'm sure he will."

"And so will you dear. In time."

She quickly glanced away and stared down at the coffee cup in her hand. She heard Paul's music in the background signalling the end of his segment but she didn't look up. For some reason, Patricia's words had made her uncomfortable. She didn't know why. Maybe it was because thinking of love made her think of Jonathan and what they had before he had turned her into his own human punching bag. She had loved him with all her heart. What if she allowed herself to love someone like that again? And what if six months down the line they treated her the exact same way her husband had. There was no way she could ever put herself through that again. She couldn't. Not to mention the fact her pain was still too fresh and raw to even contemplate being with anyone else right now.

"I've upset you, haven't I?" asked Patricia as she crossed the short distance between them. The seat shifted underneath her as she sat down beside Stephanie. "Please forgive me, dear. Paul will tell you I always open my mouth before I think."

Stephanie looked up and smiled. She could see the concern in her face. She shook her head and reassured her. "You've not upset me, honestly."

Patricia frowned despite those words as she studied the young lady in front of her carefully. Despite her smile, she could see the sadness that lingered in Stephanie's big blue eyes. Her heart went out to the woman she knew her son had fallen for and she could say that with all certainty because she knew Paul. She knew the look she had seen in his eyes this morning. He loved Stephanie. It had been written all over his face when he had said goodbye to her. It was just such a damn shame that his love might never be returned. But that wasn't Stephanie's fault. The poor girl had been through so much in her young life. It was understandable that she would recoil from any thoughts of a future relationship with anyone.

"It's just hard you know to think about being with anyone else."

Patricia placed her hand on her thigh and squeezed it. "I know and no one can blame you for feeling that way. It will take time to get past all the pain and the suffering you've been through. But you will get past it. You're a survivor, Stephanie. You'll get through this. Look how far you've come already."

Stephanie bit down on her lip thoughtfully as she lifted her left shoulder in a shrug. "But I couldn't have done it on my own. If it wasn't for Paul, well, God knows where I would be."

A mental image of herself lying bloody and battered on the floor calling out for Paul flashed through her mind. She shook her head quickly erasing it.

"He'll just be glad you're safe, Stephanie. We all are."

Stephanie smiled tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. She had to admit she did feel safe here. Well at least for now but she couldn't hide out here forever. She knew that. As Patricia returned to her seat, Stephanie chewed her bottom lip pensively. Her finger tapped lightly against her mug as she silently acknowledged that time was running out. The clock was ticking. She had to try and find the courage she needed to make a decision about her future. It wasn't going to be easy but she had to do it. There was no other choice. Not if she wanted to survive which as she grew stronger, she was determined more than ever she was going to do………..

* * *

"Paul, wait up!"

Paul turned round at the sound of the voice in the car park. He smiled and greeted Shane who was jogging slowly towards him. "Hey, Shano. What's up man?"

"Are you heading back to the hotel?"

He nodded as he adjusted the gym bag on his shoulder. "Why? Needing to hitch a ride?"

"If you're offering. Dad and Austin are talking contracts. I decided to bail."

Paul scrunched his nose in disdain. "Christ. I don't blame you on that one. The last time your Dad talked contracts with me, I was there for over two hours and all I wanted to do was sign the damn thing."

Shane chuckled as he fell in line with Paul and they continued to walk to the car.

"So, was it good to be back?"

"I was only gone a couple of weeks you know."

"Well, yeah but it was weird not having you around even to help out with the show. I think it was even worse with Steph being gone too."

Paul smiled absently as they approached the car. He dumped his bag on the ground as he searched for the keys in his leather jacket pocket.

"Have you heard from her at all?"

He shook his head quickly and frowned as he came up empty handed. His big hand began searching the inside pocket.

"You neither? It's really weird. No-one has heard from her since she left on vacation with Jonathan."

Paul cleared his throat awkwardly as he finally retrieved the keys. "Well I guess she's not going to call home if she's living it up in some swanky hotel somewhere."

He opened the car and picked up his gym bag. Shane closed the door behind him and dumped his bag on the floor. He looked over as Paul threw his phone on the dashboard and placed the key in the ignition.

"I suppose you're right."

Shane sighed softly. The car pulled away and they headed out of the car park. As Paul made a right turn, his phone rang. He reached out to grab it but as they approached a corner, the phone slid towards Shane and fell down onto the floor.

"Shit!"

Shane fumbled below him to fetch it. "The same thing happens to me all the time." he mumbled.

Paul glanced briefly across and swallowed nervously. There was every chance the person calling him was Stephanie. He couldn't risk Shane seeing her name on the screen especially after telling him he hadn't a word from his sister. But as Shane picked it up and held the phone in the air, it stopped ringing. Paul's breath caught in his throat as he noticed him glance at the caller display.

"It says home. Who have you got stowed away at home, Game?" asked Shane smirking in his direction. He placed the phone back on the dash.

Paul drummed his fingers nervously against the steering wheel. His gaze was focused straight ahead as he lied to Shane.

"It will be Mom. She always calls after a show."

"But it said home."

Paul stopped the car at the traffic lights. He turned to look at Shane not quite meeting him in the eye and shrugged. "It's just habit. I guess I still see their place as home."

"I know what you mean, man. Being on the road it's hard to think of your own place in that way."

Paul smiled in agreement and turned his head briefly as a wave of relief washed over him knowing Shane had bought his explanation. "Yeah, it does. I'll call her back once I get to the hotel."

His brow furrowed with his concern as he turned to look out the windshield. His fingers tapped impatiently against the wheel as he waited for the lights to change. Shane began to whistle beside him. Paul silently pleaded for Stephanie not to try and call him again. But one thing was for sure. She had to make contact with her family. They were clearly getting worried about her and she needed to end her silence. When he got home he was going to tell her just that. The question was how the hell was he going to persuade her to do it.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Stephanie glanced over at Paul. He was sitting slouched at the other end of the sofa and his eyes were focused as he watched the television. His hand loosely clutched the bottle of water that rested on the arm of the seat. When he had arrived home this afternoon she had never been so pleased to see anyone in her life. The minute he had appeared through the door, she had thrown her arms around him and just held him close. She'd had another nightmare last night and it had totally unnerved her to the point she had been scared to be alone. Jonathan had come after her. She'd woken up just as his fist had begun to rain blows to her face. All she had wanted at that moment was Paul. He'd been her one true saviour the past few weeks and he was the only person who made her feel completely safe. Paul was the only one she felt could protect her from Jonathan. And when he hadn't been here it had taken everything she had not to pick up the phone and call him. Instead she fought the overwhelming urge she had to run as she clutched his pillow close to her chest and lay awake waiting for the sun to come up.

When Paul had called her that morning, she had tears in her eyes. It had taken everything she had not to break down at the sound of his voice. God, she felt so weak and at times she really hated herself for it. Normally she prided herself on being a strong person and she hated relying on anyone for anything. But every attack and every beating had taken its toll on her. She was scared. In fact, scratch that. She was fucking terrified and that fear made her incredibly vulnerable. Most times it felt like Paul was the only thing holding her together.

Just then he chuckled at something. Stephanie couldn't help but smile as his deep laughter echoed around the room. His big hand tucked his blonde hair behind his ear. He stretched his legs out even further until his head rested against the back of the cushions. He was practically lying down instead of sitting. She shifted in her seat to watch him. He lifted his arm and placed it across the back of his head. His navy shirt came loose from his jeans. He looked huge lying there yet funnily enough sometimes she never really noticed it. She guessed she was just used to his size. It wasn't until she would place her hand on his thick arm that she realised how tiny it was in comparison. Paul was a big guy but he worked hard for it. In fact, his body was fantastic but she would never tell him that. His ego was big enough and no doubt he would only tease her endlessly about it.

Stephanie smiled to herself as she tucked her feet underneath her. Her gaze shifted to the television. She absently began to twirl a loose strand of hair around her finger.

"What's got you smiling McMahon?"

She turned her head to see Paul looking at her, his brown eyes crinkled with amusement. The soft glow from the lamp fell across his face. She shrugged her shoulders casually. "Nothing. I'm just watching the movie that's all."

"Right. So it amuses you to see that poor guy getting his brains blown out?" he asked, smirking.

Stephanie picked up the large cream padded cushion and threw it in the direction of his head. She grinned as she watched it connect with his face. "Shut up and just watch it."

Paul pulled away the cushion and pretended to scowl at her. His nose was wrinkled and strands of hair had fallen across his face. His eyes twinkled as he pushed them back behind his ear and placed the cushion across his chest. His big arm rested across it as he turned his attention back to the television. He licked his lips before chewing on the inside of his mouth. His brow furrowed deep in concentration.

"I'm going to get a drink. Do you want anything?"

He turned his head to see Stephanie standing up fixing her messy ponytail. Her red t-shirt had lifted. He diverted his gaze from the exposed skin above the waistband of her jeans. "No. I'm good."

She smiled. His eyes narrowed as they followed her into the kitchen. Paul let out a soft sigh as he thought about how he was going to broach the subject of her parents. He couldn't put it off any longer. He had to talk to her. He had to somehow persuade Stephanie to tell her parents the truth. He just knew that when he brought the subject up, she was probably going to freak. That was the reason why he had avoided mentioning it up until now. He didn't want to intentionally upset her. God knows she had shed enough tears lately to last a lifetime and every time she cried it tore up him inside. But it was only a matter of time before Vince and Linda found out what had happened. She couldn't hide it forever. Stephanie had to tell them about Jonathan before they found out from someone else.

Paul pushed himself up the chair and placed the bottle of water on the small table next to him. He wrapped both arms around the cushion and rested his chin on top of it. His brown eyes absently glanced towards the television as his mind drifted to Jonathan. He clenched his jaw tightly. He felt such rage inside every time he thought about the fucker. He absolutely loathed him for the horror and the pain he had put Stephanie through. The man was nothing but scum and he wondered where the bastard was right now. He was obviously keeping a low profile and he would disappear off the face of the planet if he knew what was good for him. One thing was for sure, he was a dead man once he got his hands on him. He was going to wring his fucking neck for what he did to Stephanie.

"I see your Mom left you instructions for dinner."

Paul jumped slightly at the sound of her voice. He lifted his chin from the pillow and forced a smile in her direction. He noticed the glass of wine in her hand. She took a small sip before taking her seat beside him.

"She obviously doesn't trust you not to burn the place down." she said with a twinkle in her eye, teasing him.

"Yeah well it doesn't help when someone decides to tell tales in my absence."

Stephanie's eyes widened and her mouth opened as she tried to feign innocence. "Moi? I never said a word. Well, at least, not intentionally." She flashed him a grin before taking a mouthful of wine.

Paul shook his head at her. "Traitor!"

He smiled softly and watched her pick up the glossy magazine from the arm of the sofa. She licked the pad of her thumb and began to flick through the pages. His smile faded. He sighed as he raked his fingers through his hair. It was now or never. Paul picked up the remote and switched off the television. As he shifted his body round to face her, he noticed Stephanie had glanced up from her magazine and was looking at him curiously. She balanced her wine glass on her knee. He cleared his throat and pressed his lips together in a tight smile.

"Steph, can we talk?"

She nodded her head and closed the magazine, throwing it over onto the glass coffee table. She turned in the seat to face him tucking her right leg underneath her. She switched her wine glass to her other hand and rested her arm along the back of the sofa. Her fingers drummed lightly against the leather. "What is it you want to talk about?"

Paul's handsome face was serious as his concerned brown eyes scanned her face. "Well, your parents actually."

He watched her frown slightly then glance away from him. Her arm dropped from the back of the cushions falling to her lap. She sat in silence as her manicured finger began to trace around the rim of her glass.

"You need to tell them the truth about what happened to you, Steph. You've got no choice."

She didn't look up at him. Instead she sat in silence focusing on her hand as it continued to move around the glass.

"Steph?"

She shook her head slowly. Her voice was a tiny whisper. "I can't."

Paul frowned and watched her for a second before reaching out and resting his hand on her knee. He squeezed it gently. "I'm afraid you're going to have to."

She tilted her head up towards him. He could see the mixture of anger and fear in her face. "No Paul I don't. I don't have to do anything I don't want to."

Stephanie pushed his hand away. As it fell to the sofa, she quickly got to her feet. Paul watched her slim figure disappear into the kitchen and sighing heavily, he rubbed at his forehead with his big hand. He heard the slamming of the cupboard doors in the kitchen behind him. Stephanie was obviously pissed at him which meant there was every chance she wasn't going to be rational about this. But he had to make her see sense. Hiding away from everything and everyone wasn't the answer any more.

Paul slowly got to his feet letting the cushion drop to the floor. He made his way to the kitchen as his bare feet padded across the polished wood. When he got there he found Stephanie furiously scrubbing at some dishes. He stuffed his hands in his jeans pockets as he approached her and rested against the counter next to her. He crossed his long legs in front of him. "Steph, we have to talk about this."

She ignored him as she shook the water from her hands and grabbed the dishcloth beside her. She picked up a plate and began to dry it.

"You do know your parents are starting to worry about you. Shane is too."

Stephanie whipped round to face him and he could see the panic on her pretty face. He also noticed her eyes were tired. There were dark circles encompassed under them. "Why? What did you say to them?"

Paul's brown eyes went wide. "Me? I never said a damn word to anyone."

"You must have Paul otherwise why would they be worried?"

Paul shook his head. He straightened up as his hands flew out of his pockets into the air. "Steph, they haven't heard a word from you in over two weeks! For God sakes! Of course they're going to be worried about you."

She looked at him strangely for a second before turning her attention back to the plate. "I think you're over reacting. Besides, they think I'm on vacation."

Stephanie placed the plate on the counter. She could feel Paul standing directly behind her as she picked up another one. She heard his frustrated sigh.

"I'm not over reacting Stephanie. Both your dad and Shane asked me if I'd heard from you yesterday. They both think it's weird you haven't called them."

Stephanie threw down the dishcloth on the counter. "Fine! Then I'll call them!" She glared at Paul as she put down the plate. She tried to brush past him but his hand gripped her arm stopping her.

"And you're going to tell them about Jonathan?" he asked.

She shrugged him off as her blue eyes flashed angrily at him. "No. I've told you I can't and I've told you why. I thought you understood."

"I do. I just….." He paused as he sighed and raked his fingers through his hair. He looked at her. His brown eyes were concerned. "Steph, you'll never be free from Jonathan if you keep hiding from him and protecting him."

"I'm not protecting Jonathan, Paul. I'm protecting myself!"

Stephanie choked on her words as she wrapped her arms protectively around herself. She felt the hot tears burn her eyes and she blinked them away furiously. She was sick and tired of crying over Jonathan every single day. "You don't know what he's capable of. If he finds me, he'll kill me."

She anxiously bit down on her lip and looked towards the floor. Paul stood in front of her placing his hands on her shoulders. She tilted her head towards him. As their eyes met, she saw the determined look on his face. She also saw anger. The same anger she saw every time she mentioned Jonathan's name.

"Steph, Jonathan will never hurt you again. I won't let him because I'll kill him before he lays another finger on you."

Paul practically spat out the words. Stephanie felt her stomach twist into knots as she realised he meant every word he just said. He would kill Jonathan. She had no doubt in her mind about that. And while she was grateful that he wanted to protect her so badly, it scared her. Jonathan had already ruined her life. She wasn't about to let him ruin Paul's. Her hand desperately reached up to cup his face. Her eyes practically pleaded with him as they stared widely at him. "Promise me you won't go after him, Paul."

He slowly shook his head. "I'm sorry but I can't promise you that."

He saw the panic in her face as Stephanie looked deeply into his eyes. "But he's not worth it, Paul. You understand me? He's not worth it. You'd lose everything. You know that, don't you? "

"Yeah well it would be worth it if it meant you were safe from him." he replied as his thumb lightly traced her arm. He knew he was letting his emotions get the better of him here but he couldn't help it. He loved Stephanie so much. He would do anything in his power to protect her. It was as simple as that. But of course, he couldn't expect Stephanie to understand. After all, she didn't have a clue how he felt about her. And as far as he was concerned, she never would. She wasn't ready for his love and unfortunately for him, she might never be.

"I'm safe from him here."

Paul smiled at her gently. "Yeah but you can't hide out here forever, can you?"

Her hand fell from his face and rested on his chest. He watched her bite down on her lip nervously as she glanced away. He rubbed her shoulder affectionately. "Steph, you have to tell your family the truth soon. You understand that, don't you?"

He felt her shoulders rise and fall as she sighed. "But I'm so ashamed."

Paul frowned at her, confused. He placed his finger under her chin and lifted her head. Her eyes were so sad. He affectionately tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Why on earth would you feel ashamed?"

"Because I let him do it, Paul. I let him think it was okay to beat me and I was too damn weak to do anything about it." Her voice broke and her bottom lip quivered. Her eyes shone with unshed tears as she continued.

"I know I should have stopped it. I should have walked away the first time he hit me." she choked. "But he begged me to forgive him and promised me it would never happen again. I believed him. I really did. But then it happened again and then again and time after time I forgave him. I became his human punching bag and I've got no-one to blame but myself. After all it was my own damn fault."

A solitary tear trickled down her cheek and Stephanie furiously wiped it away. She stepped back from him as she let out a calming breath. Paul's hands dropped to his sides and he shifted his feet on the floor. He wanted to comfort her but he also wanted to reach out and shake her. How the hell was any of it her fault? He just didn't understand why she would feel that way. Then again, he hadn't gone through the abuse she had suffered at Jonathan's hands. Fuck. He wanted to choke the life out of that bastard. It wasn't the first time he had thought about jumping on a plane and confronting him. But he knew he would never do it. Not now. Not while Stephanie needed him. She was his number one priority. That spineless piece of scum could wait.

Just then Stephanie's shoulders began to shake and Paul knew that she was crying. His heart went out to her as he reached out and pulled her into his arms. As he held her to him, her body shook with her silent sobs. His hand rubbed her back slowly before he placed a gentle kiss in her hair. "You've got nothing to be ashamed of. Do you hear me, Steph? Nothing."

Stephanie's head rested against his neck. As his hand made small circles, she closed her eyes and inhaled his familiar scent. It soothed her a little.

"And if you want me to I'll be there when you decide to tell your parents. I won't let you face this alone. I'm going to be here for you every step of the way, Steph. I promise you."

A grateful smile traced her lips as her frightened tears ran down her face. Stephanie felt Paul pull her a little closer and she snuggled into his chest. He felt so warm and comforting and she sighed softly into him. Her fingers absently brushed through the ends of his hair as he rocked her gently in his arms. She knew she was leaning on him and probably way too much. But God knows she needed him more than she had ever needed somebody. She drew on his strength and without him, she wasn't sure she would have survived. The truth was Paul had saved her.

Stephanie slowly lifted her head from his neck and looked up towards his face. Paul was watching her. His brown eyes were gentle and filled with something she wasn't sure she had seen before. Something that was so tender yet a little frightening to her. But it was gone as quickly as it had appeared and Stephanie knew she had probably imagined it. Paul was a friend, her best friend in fact. There was nothing more to it. She'd been stupid to even consider anything else.

"You are going to tell them aren't you?"

Stephanie sniffed and slowly nodded her head. She saw the relief wash over Paul's face before he smiled at her. She dropped her head to his chest again and pulled him close. Despite her fear, she knew deep down he was right. She needed to tell her parents the truth. It was only a matter of days before she had to face them anyway. She was just so scared. The past few weeks she had lived here in a safe little cocoon. It was just her and Paul. No one else existed really. Nothing else had mattered. But unfortunately her bubble was about to burst. She had to face her mother and her father. She needed to tell them the truth and try and forget about the shame she felt and the disappointment she would see on their faces when she told them. Her family had been so proud of her when she had married Jonathan. They thought she would have everything they wanted for her. They would no doubt be upset when they found out the truth. She just hoped they understood.

"You're doing the right thing, Steph."

She nodded against his chest as she closed her eyes and let out a shaky breath. God, she hoped Paul was right and that she was doing the right thing by confiding in her parents. Not that she doubted his judgement. She knew she trusted him implicitly. In fact, she trusted him with her life. He hadn't let her down once through this whole thing and she wanted to do the same for him. She just hoped she had the strength to do it. But with Paul by her side, she knew that she would. He was the one that made her strong. He helped her overcome her fear. He was her rock and she knew he would do everything in his power to protect her from Jonathan. No doubt her family would too once they found out what he had done to her.

Stephanie swallowed hard before inhaling a calming breath. So, she had somehow found the courage to make the decision to admit the truth. She just hoped she now had the courage to live with it. She was still terrified Jonathan would find her. She wasn't entirely sure she could stand up to him and this was just the start of a long battle for her freedom. But somehow, for the first time in what seemed like forever, she saw just a tiny glimmer of hope. A glimmer of hope that just might let her look forward to her future. A future that now looked just that little bit brighter for her and a future that didn't instil that fear in her heart any more.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Paul hunched forward on the brown leather sofa resting his forearms against the bottom of his slightly parted thighs. Loose strands of soft blonde hair fell around his face. His brown eyes settled on the plush patterned carpet as he listened to the sound of Stephanie's soft cries. Inside his heart was breaking for her. God, he hated seeing her so upset. His immediate reaction had been to comfort her, to hold her in his arms and try his best to soothe her. But he had held back knowing that this time, she didn't need him. Not when she had her family right here to console her.

They were crying too as they sat across from him embracing their baby daughter. He had to admit he was feeling slightly uncomfortable right now. He couldn't help but think he was intruding on their privacy. Sure, he had a great relationship with all the McMahons but it had mainly consisted of creative meetings and the odd late night dinner revising scripts. Very seldom had it involved anything personal and especially nothing of this nature. But leaving Stephanie to do this alone had never been an option to him. Not when she had pleaded with those wide blue eyes of hers for him to stay by her side. She had told him he made her strong. He gave her courage. But what Stephanie didn't realise was she was the brave one. In his eyes, she was so much braver than she would ever know.

Paul shifted in his seat as his big hand tucked a strand of hair behind his ear. He swallowed thickly and tried to concentrate on the sound of the heavy rain as it fell against the window pane, anything in an attempt to drown out the sound of Stephanie's tears. Listening to her deep sobbing was killing him inside. He hated seeing her in such emotional pain. He hadn't realised how hard it would be to hear it all again. To listen to her broken voice as she relived everything that she had been through. He just felt so damn useless. There was nothing he could do to take her pain away. There was nothing he could do to help her. Fuck, he felt so frustrated. He also felt angry. Uncontrollably angry. He wanted to choke the fucking life out of Jonathan. He wanted him to suffer just like he had made Stephanie suffer every time he laid his dirty, filthy hands on her. He wanted to pay him back for every cut and every bruise, physical and emotional.

Paul gritted his teeth as he curled his thick fingers in the palms of his hands. He clenched them tightly together and tried to resist the urge to ram his fist into a wall. He knew he had to try and remain calm but it was hard. In fact, it was taking everything he had not to hop in the rental car and pay that bastard Brooke a personal visit. But he had reluctantly promised Stephanie he would stay away from Jonathan.

At first he had refused, wondering why the hell she wanted to protect him. Then he realised it wasn't about Jonathan. It was about him. She was scared. Scared that because of his need to defend her, he would do something stupid and ruin his career and his life. Paul knew Stephanie had a point. He hated Jonathan for what he had done. He loathed him with a passion. If he ever got his hands on him, there was no guarantee he would stop. And while he was prepared to protect Stephanie with his life, he knew it was a sacrifice she didn't want him to make. She needed him too much. At least that's what she had confessed to him as she stared at him with those beautiful eyes of hers. God when she had said those words, he knew he couldn't refuse her what she wanted. It was just a shame she didn't need him like he needed her. She needed him as a friend. He needed her like the very air he breathed.

"That fucking bastard!"

Paul lifted his head as he heard the rage in Shane's voice. He straightened up in the seat with his clenched fists resting on his lap. Although he wasn't surprised at how angry Shane was, the venom in his tone had shocked him slightly. Shane was a pretty passive guy. He couldn't remember a time when he had seen him really angry or rattled. Even at times when Vince had more than tried his patience at work, Shane took it all in his stride remaining calm and businesslike. He wasn't a hothead but he was livid right now and Paul couldn't blame him. His little sister had been through hell at the hands of a gutless lowlife. They could only imagine what she had been through. Images that he had conjured in his mind were too horrible to bear. If that was his family, he would be baying for the bastard's blood right now.

Just then Shane looked across at him. His eyes were red and he could see the tears that threatened to fall. He saw the look of complete devastation on his face. There was also a look of guilt. That was an emotion he was all too familiar with. He felt it every time he wondered why he hadn't realised what was going on. The signs had been there. He just hadn't taken time out of his busy life to see them. He had failed Stephanie when she had needed him the most. He knew without even having to ask that Shane felt exactly the same way. There was no doubt he was beating himself up inside.

"I'm going to kill him." said Shane, his voice shaking.

He stood up abruptly and began to pace the floor in front of him. His head was bowed and his fists were curled into tight balls by his sides. Paul glanced quickly across at Stephanie. She was still in her mother's arms but her head had lifted and he could see the panicked expression on her tear stained face. She watched Shane who suddenly stopped pacing as he stood in front of the large bay window. Vince was uncharacteristically sitting silent and motionless with a look of stunned disbelief on his face. His hand gripped hold of his wife's. He was obviously struggling to take it all in.

"That no good son of a bitch. I want to bash his fucking brains in." Shane suddenly shouted.

"Stop it!" screamed Stephanie startling everyone in the room including Shane who spun round on his heels to face her. She abruptly pulled from Linda's embrace and wiping away the hot tears from her wet face, she crossed the short distance to stand in front of him. "Stop being angry!" she shouted at him. Her hands were trembling as they reached out towards her brother. "You're making me feel like it's my fault, like I've done something wrong."

Shane's mouth parted in surprise as he took hold of her hands. They were so cold in his. They were like blocks of ice. He looked in disbelief at his sister. His baby sister who had been through so much pain and cruelty that the mere thought of it made him sick to his stomach. He was her older brother. It was meant to be his job to look out for her and keep her safe. He had managed to do that when she was ten and she was being bullied at school. He even managed to do that when she was seventeen and being stalked by a lovesick freshman. But this time he had failed her when she had needed him the most. He hadn't been able to protect her. He hadn't been able to save her from the abuse from a man who he once considered a brother. A man who he wanted to punish until there wasn't a breath left in his cowardly, twisted body.

"This was why I wasn't going to tell any of you." sniffed Stephanie.

Shane's brown eyes narrowed and he shook his head in disbelief. "You've done nothing wrong, Stephanie. The only one who has done something wrong is that sick bastard the minute he laid his fucking hands on you!" Shane's shallow breaths made his chest rise and fall. "He's not getting away with this, you know. I'm going to make him pay for what he's done."

Stephanie's blue eyes went wide as she shook her head, forcefully pushing away his hands. "No, Shane. You're not going after him. You stay away from him, do you hear me?"

"Stay away from him?" Shane asked incredulously. "Steph, are you fucking nuts? The guy hit you for Christ sakes. He beat you black and blue!"

"I know what he did. You don't have to remind me." said Stephanie as she took a step back and wrapped her arms protectively around herself. Her whole body was shaking. The fear was gripping her. Fear that her family would go after Jonathan. Fear that they would go that one step too far and she could lose them.

"Then why the hell are you protecting him?"

"I'm not!"

"Oh yes you are." He shook his head in disbelief and quickly brushed past her as he headed towards the door.

Stephanie's eyes were frightened as she turned towards Paul. She bit down on her lip as a solitary tear trickled down her cheek. He quickly pushed himself to his feet and pressed his lips together in a tight smile. His hand squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. He could feel her trembling underneath.

"I'll go after him. I'll make sure he's okay." he said.

Stephanie nodded at him silently as he kissed her forehead softly. Giving her shoulder one last squeeze, he crossed the large living room. His eyes fell on Vince as he made his way out the door. His body was hunched over as he sat still on the sofa. God only knows what was going through his mind right now. Vince adored his baby girl. He was so fiercely protective of her and his reaction today had really surprised him. He had fully expected Vince to explode with rage. His anger was usually vocal. Paul had expected him to be the one threatening to beat the crap out of Jonathan. Instead Shane was the one reacting that way. It was almost as if Vince was struggling to process what Stephanie had told him. Vince had liked Jonathan. He'd welcomed him with open arms into his family. The bastard had managed to fool everyone, even a protective father like Vince McMahon.

As Paul made his way into the hallway, the front door slammed shut. Cursing under his breath, he ran after Shane. As he got outside, he saw him get into his car. There was only one place he was thinking of going. He had to try and stop him. The gravel crunched as Shane reversed the black Landrover from the front of the house. Paul bounded down the wet concrete steps just in time to jump in front of the car. Shane halted to a stop. The blood was beating in Paul's ears as he ran to the passenger side. He climbed in and quickly closed the door behind him shutting out the heavy rain. Wet strands of hair stuck to his face. He could feel the damp material of his jeans seeping through to his skin.

"Where the hell are you going or is that a dumb question?" asked Paul as Shane released the brake and began to drive away.

There was silence for a few seconds broken only by the sound of the wipers as they cleared the windscreen. Paul sighed heavily and pushed his hair behind his ears. He shifted in his seat to face Shane.

"I have to do this, Paul. You don't understand."

"Oh trust me, I do understand."

The car turned left onto the quiet street. Paul reached across to switch on the heater as he felt his skin begin to chill. He'd left his damn jacket back in the house. Small goose bumps were beginning to appear on his arms.

"I've never wanted to beat the living shit out of someone so badly in my life. When I think about what he did to her……." Shane's voice trailed off as his fingers gripped the steering wheel tightly. He sighed heavily as his eyes stared at the road straight ahead. "Why didn't I see it, Paul? Why didn't I realise what was happening to Stephanie?"

Paul sighed softly as he rubbed at the stubble on his chin. "I've asked myself that same question every single day. I still haven't managed to come up with an answer." He paused for a second as his hand fell on his thigh. "At least not one that doesn't involve me feeling as guilty as hell about it."

Paul turned his head as he glanced out the steamed-up window and rested his arm against the cold glass. The rain continued to fall steadily outside. The streets were grey and gloomy and they were beginning to reflect his mood. As well as guilt, Paul was also filled with regret. Regret for what he could have done and probably should have done as soon as Stephanie had confessed the truth. He'd somehow let her convince him that she would be safe with Jonathan. Knowing what he had been capable of, he'd let her walk out of that door. He kicked himself for even listening to her when everything inside him had been screaming not to. He should have done anything to drag her away from that bastard's clutches. He should have said something and forced her to tell Vince the truth in the locker room that night. But he hadn't and he was struggling to forgive himself for that. Because of him, Stephanie's emotional scars ran even more deeply than they should have.

"But you helped her, Paul. You saw what she was going through and you got her out of there. Christ, if it wasn't for you who knows what could have happened to her."

Paul shook his head as he turned back round towards him. His brown eyes narrowed as they focused on him. "You can't think that way, Shane. Torturing yourself won't do you any good."

"But I'm her brother for God sakes. I should have been there to help her. I should have made sure she was safe."

"She's safe now, man. That's all that matters." replied Paul. His hand gripped the ledge beside the window as the car turned sharply around a corner.

"Yeah well I'm going to make sure it stays that way. Jonathan is never going to get the chance to lay a finger on her again"

"It's not what she wants Shane."

Paul glanced out of the window. He noticed the small church on the right. He knew they were only minutes away from the house where Stephanie lived, or where she had used to live. He knew he was running out of time to convince Shane this was the wrong thing to do despite every bone in his body telling him that this is what he wanted to do. He would feel tremendous satisfaction beating that fucker to a bloody pulp. But he had made a promise to Stephanie and he intended to keep it. He had let her down once before and it was a mistake he didn't want to repeat. He wasn't sure he could handle the pain and disappointment in her face if he did.

"Well it's what I want." said Shane as the car halted at the traffic lights. His fingers tapped impatiently against the wheel.

"Yeah well what we want isn't important right now. Stephanie is. She's our priority, Shane. We have to do what is best for her and right now, that's supporting her and being there for her when she needs us. We can't do that behind bars and that's what she is afraid of."

"But surely she knows she can't let him get away with it?"

"Of course she does. She just needs time to come to that decision."

Shane turned his head towards him. "What? Calling the cops?"

Paul nodded. "With any luck they'll lock the bastard up and throw away the key."

Shane puffed out his cheeks as he sighed heavily. His attention turned back to the road. The car pulled away slowly as the light turned green. "I just can't let it drop, Paul. I can't sit back and do nothing. I feel so fucking useless." His hand banged hard against the steering wheel in frustration. His jaw was clenched tightly as he stared out of the windscreen.

"Then be there for her. That's the best thing you can do for her right now."

Shane glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. His brow was slightly furrowed. "Since when did you become the voice of reason?"

"Since your sister threatened to kick my ass if I let you go anywhere near that house."

Although it wasn't strictly the truth, Paul knew Stephanie would be more than upset if he allowed Shane to go after Jonathan. Although an ass kicking would be the least of his worries.

"I just hate the thought of him getting away with this."

"He'll get his, Shane. Trust me." said Paul adamantly.

The car pulled up at the bottom of the driveway to the house. As it sat idling, Paul's brown eyes watched Shane intently. He knew that if Shane did decide to go after Jonathan, he wouldn't be able to hold himself back. Now that they were so close, revenge had started to taste so much sweeter. His rage and aggression would come bubbling to the surface. All logic and reason would rush out of his head. His promise to Stephanie would be forgotten and placed firmly in the back of his mind as his hatred for her husband took over. And while he didn't want that to happen, he had to admit that a part of him was desperate to get inside that house. To finally get his chance to make that bastard pay for what he had done. Paul let out a slow breath as he tried to remain calm. It would be so easy to lose control. He had to get a grip.

Just then the ringing tone interrupted the silence. Shane reached into the pocket of his black shirt and retrieved his cell phone. He frowned as he stared at the name on the caller display. "It's Stephanie."

Paul wasn't surprised. He knew she would be sick with worry the minute she realised they had left the house. "Hadn't you better answer it?"

Shane sighed softly. "Yeah, I suppose." He pressed the button and brought it to his

ear. "Hey, Steph."

Paul turned and stared out of the windscreen. His fingers drummed against his thigh as his eyes fell on an elderly couple walking their dog in the rain.

"Yeah, Paul is here with me."

Paul shifted in his seat. Thankfully his clothes had dried off a little. His t-shirt was no longer felt like it was clinging to his chest. His big hand lifted to push back his damp hair.

"No, we're not going anywhere near Jonathan. I just needed to get out of there and cool down, that's all."

Paul glanced over at Shane, his brow raised in surprise. It looked like Shane had given up on getting revenge – for now at least. In a way, he was relieved. Stephanie trusted him. He didn't want to lose her trust by breaking a promise he had made to her. He had meant every word when he'd said that Stephanie was a priority. She was to him and he knew that she always would be. The truth was she had become the most important thing in his life. He wasn't so sure he could exist without her. He knew he didn't even want to. Without her even realising it, Stephanie had crept in and captured his heart. God help him if she ever decided to let it go.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Stephanie shivered as she looked over towards the window. The rain fell against the large pane trickling slowly down the glass. Night was falling outside. It cast the living room in dark gloomy shadows. Reaching across to the small table beside her, Stephanie switched on the lamp. The soft glow bathed the room in light and she rubbed at her arms feeling the light goose bumps there. Grabbing the wool cardigan that was draped across the back of the sofa, she pulled it on and settling back against the cushions, she glanced over at the brass carriage clock on the carved wooden mantelpiece. Stephanie sighed heavily. Only two minutes had passed since the last time she had looked. They had been two long, agonising minutes as she waited for her brother and Paul to return home. They had been gone for most of the afternoon but she had tried her best not to worry. Shane had explained on the phone that he needed time to cool down. While she understood that, it didn't mean she wasn't still anxious. The longer they were gone, the more chance there was that he had changed his mind and went after Jonathan after all. God knows what would happen if they did. All kind of scenarios were rushing through her head. Scenarios that were honestly beginning to scare her to death.

"Hey."

Stephanie's head jerked up at the sound of his voice. Paul was standing in the doorway. A relieved smile spread across her face. "Hey you."

Paul closed the door behind him and walked towards the sofa where she sat. Stephanie grabbed the remote beside her and muted the television. She reached over placing the control on the small table to her right. She felt the seat shift underneath her as Paul sat down beside her. He rested his arm across the back of the cushions. She noticed his blonde hair was slightly damp, curling up at the ends.

"I didn't hear you get back. I was getting worried."

"Well there's no need to be. Shane just wanted to let off some steam before he got home. We went for a drink and talked a little." Paul smiled at her gently before lifting his shoulder in a casual shrug. "He just hated knowing that you had suffered so much. He couldn't handle the fact that all this was happening to you and he hadn't even realised. He felt so damn useless. He just wants to protect you, you know?"

Stephanie nodded before quickly looking away. She knew her family blamed themselves for what had happened. She could see it in their eyes. They were hurting so much and that made her feel tremendously guilty. Her heart was heavy as she sighed softly. "I always loved watching the rain." she said distractedly.

She turned to Paul and offered him a sad smile. There was something in her heavy blue eyes that made him immediately reach out and take her hand in his. It felt freezing cold. He squeezed it gently and felt her thumb begin to lightly trace the edge of his palm.

"My favourite place to watch it was in the chair by the bedroom window at home." she continued as she turned her head towards the sound of the rain. It drummed rhythmically against the large window pane. Her voice seemed almost distant as she stared straight ahead. "It was like my refuge you know. It was my place to go when I wanted to think or just clear my head. I remember sitting there one night. It was late, after midnight I think. The rain was pouring down outside. It was falling so heavily that Jonathan was soaked just in the short journey from the cab to the front door. Not that he even noticed, of course. He was loaded by then. He had been celebrating his big victory in a libel case you see. He always liked to congratulate himself on a job well done."

Paul licked his lips as she paused for a second. His mouth suddenly felt dry. There was something in Stephanie's voice that worried him, an underlying pain that made him want to reach out and comfort her. A soft sigh escaped from her lips as she turned in the seat to face him. The large cushion behind her toppled over to the side as he frowned slightly. The expression on her face was one of sadness. He squeezed her hand again not sure what else to do. He hated seeing her this way. He wished he could erase all the painful memories from her mind. He wanted her to be happy again and he was prepared to do whatever it took to accomplish that.

"That night, it was the second time he hit me." she told him.

Paul swallowed thickly. He shook his head, his long blonde strands shifting across his shoulders. "Steph, you don't have to do this. You'll only upset yourself."

Stephanie pressed her lips together in a small smile. Her hand reached over and rested on his thigh. She patted it reassuringly. "I'm fine, honestly."

And at that moment, she was surprised to find she actually was. She was beginning to feel she had no tears left when it came to Jonathan. She had cried so many tears lately, she was spent. Leaning her shoulder against Paul's arm, she let out a calming breath determined to continue. For some reason she wanted to. To prove to herself that she could. She had been silent for so long because Jonathan had forced her to be. The fear and humiliation she felt every time he hit her had guaranteed that silence.

"He came staggering into the bedroom." she continued softly. "I was still sitting in the chair. I saw his face and I knew straight away he was angry. He had this almost maniacal look in his eye and they looked almost black. I had seen them like that one time before. It was just before the first time he struck me."

Just then she felt Paul let go of her hand. As Stephanie began to sit up straight, she felt his arm slide around her shoulder. His mouth was set in a tight smile when he pulled her towards him and sat against the cushions on the sofa. Shifting her body slightly, she sat back with him. She rested her head against the crook of his arm as the rain continued to batter against the window. She breathed in his familiar scent and felt comforted by the warmth of his body.

"It happened so quickly. I was getting out of the chair. I didn't even realise he was standing right in front of me until I felt his hand wrap around my throat."

Stephanie paused. She bit down on her lip as an image of that night flashed through her mind. Jonathan's mouth had been twisted into an ugly snarl as he had glared furiously at her. His wet hair was plastered to his forehead. She had known what was coming and she had been powerless to stop him. Closing her eyes, Stephanie let out a shaky breath.

"He was so full of rage. He forced me against the wall pinning me against it and all I could smell the alcohol on his breath. It was so strong. He accused me of sleeping around again and called me a whore. An easy lay. That was when he punched me. He kept telling me it was my fault, that he needed to teach me a lesson."

As she sniffed she felt Paul move beside her. She opened her eyes lifting her head just as he pulled his arm from her shoulder and got to his feet. Stephanie shivered slightly feeling cold at the loss of contact as she watched him stand in the middle of the floor. His back was turned to her and she could see his body tense. His black cotton t-shirt was tight across his massive shoulders. His big hand lifted to push back his hair. It rested there for a few seconds before falling to his side again. His thick fingers curled together tightly as he stood still. She knew Paul was angry. God knows she'd seen him that way often enough over the past month or so. It happened every time she mentioned what Jonathan had done to her, what he'd done to her through jealousy and his anger. Yet not once had she ever felt intimidated by Paul or his anger. That had surprised her more than anything. The slightest sign of Jonathan's temper and she had been terrified. But not with Paul because with Paul she knew she had nothing to fear. She trusted him implicitly and he had more than proved he was worthy of that trust. In fact, if it wasn't for him God knows where she would be right now. She could be lying dead if he hadn't told her to leave Jonathan. Paul had saved her.

Pushing herself to her feet, Stephanie stood up. She heard him sigh heavily and tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, she slowly approached him. Her manicured fingertips lightly touched his shoulder. "Paul?"

She felt his shoulders slump. His head bowed slightly as she heard the sound of footsteps in the hallway. Her eyes darted to the closed door but it remained shut. She felt grateful knowing they were giving her some much-needed space. Her family had been great and had tried their best to console her but she had felt smothered by their attention. The devastation on their faces had also filled her with guilt.

"He can't get away with this, Steph." said Paul grabbing her attention once more. His head slowly lifted as he turned on his heel to face her. Stephanie's hand dropped to her side as his brown eyes looked into hers. She swallowed hard, shaking her head anxiously.

"You promised, Paul. You promised me you would stay away from him." she cried as she felt herself start to panic. Her stomach felt like one giant knot. God, she'd never forgive herself if Paul's life was ruined because of Jonathan and she'd be damned if she let him do it.

"I know what I promised." he said simply.

"So why did you make that promise when it sounds to me like you have every intention of breaking it?"

Paul saw the worry and the fear in Stephanie's wide blue orbs as they searched his face frantically. He reached out lightly gripping her arm. His feet shifted in the plush carpet as he slowly shook his head. "But I don't. You know I had the perfect opportunity to go after that bastard today but I didn't. I think that proves I'm not about to break my promise to you, Steph. You have to trust me on that."

A soft sigh escaped Stephanie's lips as his brown eyes stared at her intently, eyes she knew she could trust. Paul was right. Not once had he let her down and she honestly believed he never would. Not in her eyes.

"Just like you have to trust me when I tell you that Jonathan needs to pay for what he's done to you. You need to go to the cops, Steph."

Stephanie took a step back not wanting to get into this. Her eyes narrowed as she felt Paul hand's wrap around her arm a little more tightly. His face was etched in determination. She glanced down at the floor. He wasn't going to let her walk away from this conversation. Unfortunately for her, it was a conversation she was sure she wasn't ready to face.

"Stephanie?"

She chewed anxiously on the inside of her lip. For some reason, she was conscious of the total silence in the room and she could no longer hear the sound of the rain outside. It must have finally stopped. It had been falling relentlessly since they had arrived here this morning.

"Stephanie?"

She lifted her head. Paul's brow was furrowed, his blonde hair tucked behind his ears. "What more do you want from me, Paul?" she asked. Her tone was sharp and for some reason, she could feel her anger bubble to the surface. Fuck. Hadn't she been through enough today? Paul obviously didn't think so. God, she felt so tired. She felt physically and emotionally drained. She just didn't have the strength for any of this any more.

"I'm just trying to help you."

"Help me?" She shrugged his hand away violently and shook her head as she took a step back. "How is this going to help me, Paul? Today has been hard enough without dealing with this shit!"

Raking her hands through her hair in frustration Stephanie turned her back to him walking over to the window. Her arms were wrapped around herself as she stared ahead. Paul looked to the floor immediately feeling guilty. What she had said was true. She had been through enough, more than enough. Fuck. He was such an asshole. He hadn't meant to upset her but being his typical pigheaded self, he had pushed her far too quickly when he should have listened to his own advice. Christ. He had told Shane only this afternoon that Stephanie needed time to make this decision. And he hadn't given her that time. Instead he'd tried to bulldoze her into seeing sense. It was the last thing she needed.

His sigh heavy with regret, Paul walked slowly towards where Stephanie was standing. He stood just behind her and noticed it was black dark outside. He couldn't see anything except the reflection of the living room in the glass pane. That and the sad look on Stephanie's face. He stuffed his hands awkwardly in his jeans pockets. "I'm sorry."

There was a beat before her head turned slightly to the side. "I know."

"I just…….." Paul's voice trailed off. A soft sigh escaped from his lips as he took a step closer towards her. Taking his hand from his pocket and faltering only for a brief second, he placed it on her shoulder. She felt warm underneath the soft wool of her cardigan. He could smell the faint trace apples in her hair. "I just want you to feel safe with that creep behind bars that's all."

"And I am safe. You said I was safe with you."

"And you are but I can't always be here to protect you."

Stephanie slowly turned around to face him, her arm bumping against his. Paul's hand fell from her shoulder. He folded his huge arms across his chest pushing up the sleeves of his t-shirt. His brown eyes watched her chest rise and fall with her sigh.

"My husband has money, Paul. He's a lawyer for Christ sakes. If I go to the police, he can bail himself out. He might even persuade the judge to drop the charges. He'll be walking around free and what then, huh? He comes after me again?"

Paul immediately reached out gripping her shoulders. They looked straight into one another's eyes. "I won't let him."

"You just said yourself you can't always be here to protect me!" she scoffed.

"Then you get a protection order."

Stephanie looked away wanting more than anything for it to be that simple. Her blue eyes focused on the muted television. An old man was holding his sides and laughing. It felt like years since she had laughed that way. She wished she could remember what it felt like. What it was to feel so happy and free.

"Not that he'd be stupid enough to come here looking for you anyway. He knows Vince would kill him if he set one foot near the place." said Paul.

"Here?" asked Stephanie, her blue eyes wide as they scanned his face. Paul could see the fear that lingered there. Her face wore a shocked expression. He looked at her, confused at her reaction.

"Yeah. Now your parents know the truth I thought you would be moving back home."

"Oh." replied Stephanie simply as she bit down on her lip. Her head tilted downwards, her long brown strands concealing her face. She couldn't help not only the disappointment she felt but also the fear that gripped her stomach. She couldn't stay here. Not with Jonathan so close. She could pass him in the street. She would see him at every turn. She wouldn't see him in Nashua. That was why she had felt so safe at Paul's house. It was like her sanctuary. She wanted to continue to stay there but that was unfair to Paul. He'd done so much for her already. He had put his life on hold to take care of her. She couldn't ask him for any more but yet she needed him.

"Steph? Is everything okay?"

She swallowed the lump in her throat and looked back up at Paul. His brown eyes were worried. She closed over her black cardigan, her arms crossing over one another to hold it in place. Paul slowly rubbed her shoulder, his brow furrowed once again in concern. She forced herself to smile while inside she suddenly felt the need to cry.

"I'm fine."

"No you're not."

Stephanie's smile faded. She pulled on her bottom lip with her teeth tasting her fruity lip gloss. She knew trying to lie to him would be pointless. She could never hide anything from Paul. He knew her so well, sometimes even better than she knew herself.

"Don't you want to come home?" he asked.

Stephanie's eyes looked into his. She slowly shook her head. "You don't understand just how much I need you, Paul. I honestly don't think I can get through this without you."

Her voice wavered slightly. Paul instinctively pulled her into his arms and held her close. Her head rested against his chest and he kissed the top of her hair.

"I'm sorry." she said so softly that Paul had to strain to hear her. He pulled her back from him with his hands resting against her hips. His face wore a gentle smile as he reached up and pushed a loose strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Why are you apologising to me? You've got nothing to apologise for."

"I just know I'm asking a lot by expecting to stay with you." Her hand rested on his chest. She pressed her lips together contritely. "I hate being a burden to you."

"You're not a burden, McMahon. In fact, I'm kind of getting used to having you around."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." His smile widened, his brown eyes twinkling at her. "I've got someone to fetch and carry for me and I never have to do my own laundry. I'm a winner all round."

"You jerk!" said Stephanie playfully smacking his chest.

Her lips upturned in a genuine smile, one that warmed up his heart. As he looked at her, Paul wondered what Stephanie would say if she knew he never had any intention of leaving without her. Because the truth was he didn't want her staying here, not with that bastard in such close proximity. He wanted her close to him where he could keep an eye on her and make sure she was safe. But he had to let Stephanie make the choice. He didn't want her to feel obligated to continue to stay with him, not now she had the support of her family. She needed them but he was so glad she needed him too.

"So you're sure it's okay for me to stay?"

Paul smirked as he shrugged his shoulders. "I guess I don't really have a choice now, do I?"

"No. You refuse me and I'll get my Dad to fire your ass."

"Fire me? Hell, Daddy should be giving me a pay rise for putting up with you twenty four seven. You're high maintenance, Princess."

"Yeah well you're one to talk. You're not exactly a picnic to live with yourself you know." she retorted.

"Oh I don't think you're in any position to complain about my living habits, do you?"

"No." Stephanie shook her head, smiling. Her blue eyes shone at him gratefully. "Thank you." she said.

"What are you thanking me for?"

"Everything." she replied.

Paul swallowed thickly as Stephanie reached over and hugged him. His heart began to beat that little bit faster as he wrapped his arms around her and breathed in the faint scent of her perfume. God, it felt so right holding her like this almost like they fit together. Stephanie was becoming such a huge part of his life and it was practically impossible to bury his feelings for her and remember she was just a friend. A friend who needed him right now but not as much as he was starting to need her. As Stephanie nestled her head in his chest, Paul felt overcome with love. It was love for a woman that would never be his but a woman who would always have his heart. "I really care about you Steph." he whispered.

He said it so softly Stephanie almost didn't hear him. But she did and there was something in his voice that moved her. An emotion that surprised her yet totally terrified her all at the same time. The blood was beating loudly in her ears at the thought of it. Stephanie closed her eyes as her stomach churned anxiously. She mentally scolded herself telling herself she was just being stupid. She was totally mistaken. Paul cared about her as a friend and that was all. There was nothing more to it. Her head was imagining things that clearly weren't even there. But as Paul pulled her a little closer to him, a tiny part of her couldn't help but wonder if that were true. Her head said yes. She just wasn't entirely sure her heart agreed.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

The large wooden clock ticked heavily in the small silent study. The room was cast in shadows as the first signs of nightfall appeared and the green curtains billowed in the wind that blew in through the open window. Vince sat in the large padded chair behind his heavy oak desk. A crystal tumbler was gripped tightly in his hand. The amber liquid sloshed against the sides as he brought it to his mouth and took a large gulp of the whisky. His sad eyes never left the picture sitting to his left. It was Stephanie's college graduation picture and had been taken when she was twenty one years old. The world had just opened its doors to her giving so many possibilities; possibilities that should have made her happy and fulfilled in her life. God knows she deserved it and that was all he had wanted for his baby girl. He wanted the very best for her. He wanted her to have the life a father always dreamed of for their children. To be successful and content in her life and to fall in love and feel that love all the way to the tips of her fingers. He honestly thought she had found that with Jonathan. Fucking Jonathan!

Vince snarled angrily as he took another large mouthful of his drink. The ice cubes clinked against the crystal and chilled his open lips. He heard the sound of footsteps in the hallway as they passed by the closed wooden door. It was Linda. She was no doubt on her way to the kitchen to make yet another pot of strong tea. It would be the fifth one in the few hours since Stephanie had left. The hot drink was his wife's solution to any problem. That somehow it would make things seem a bit better. But it was never that easy and how could it be? His daughter had endured such terrible suffering and there was nothing he or anyone could do to change that or take it away.

Vince pushed back his seat and got to his feet, the tumbler still clutched loosely in his hand. His jaw was clenched tightly as he set it down on the small drinks cabinet behind his desk. As he reached for the bottle of Jim Beam, he noticed his hand was trembling. He quickly wrapped his fingers around the base of the bottle and swallowed thickly. He just felt so fucking useless right now. He was Stephanie's father after all. He was supposed to be the one to protect her and keep her safe from harm. Instead she'd had to rely on someone else. But thank God Paul had suspected something he had failed to see. He would be eternally grateful to him for that more than he could possibly know. Because of Paul, his daughter was safe. Stephanie had told him everything he had done for her the past month or so. He had been there when she had needed him so desperately unlike her own father who had let her down badly.

Shaking his head, Vince poured his drink and quickly gulped it down. It killed him inside to know he had failed his little girl but it killed him even more to know the pain and torture she had been through. Mental images haunted him constantly and he couldn't erase them from his mind. He was so angry. By God, he was so fucking angry. It had taken everything in him not to hunt down that bastard and choke the life out of him. He hated Jonathan Brooke. He despised every single bone in his body and there was no doubt that he would pay for what he had done. It was only a matter of time before he thought of something, someway to ruin his life just like he had ruined his daughter's.

Walking back to the desk, Vince sat in his seat heavily. He sighed as he looked at the photograph once more. Despite Stephanie's insistence that he do nothing, he wasn't prepared to let it lie. He wasn't going to let this drop. Subservience wasn't a word in his vocabulary, not when it came to his family. He would do everything in his power to make sure Jonathan was brought down. He just had to find him first. The cowardly bastard had apparently done a runner. He'd had someone check out the house when Stephanie left. The place was empty and no one was home. The car wasn't in the driveway. Brooke had been gone for a few days anyway. According to his employee, there was a pile of letters in the mail box. The earliest post mark had been towards the end of last week. But it didn't matter. He had a wealth of resources to track him down. He would find him and when he did, he'd squeeze every last breath from his body. No one screwed with a McMahon and didn't pay the price. His son-in-law would find that out soon enough.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

The water gurgled down the drain in the steam filled bathroom. Stephanie pulled on the oversized t-shirt flicking her wet hair over the neck. Her cheeks felt flushed and warm and the pads of her fingers were wrinkled. She'd probably been in the tub for way too long but the water had felt so relaxing. As she'd lain there in the bubbles, she'd felt the strain of the past few days slowly wash away. It had been emotionally tough to tell her parents the truth about Jonathan and to relive the abuse and the pain she had suffered at his hands. Seeing them so heartbroken had torn her up inside. She still couldn't help but feel she had failed them in some way. She honestly felt she had let them down. They had brought her up to be an independent person. They'd taught her how to be strong and assertive but she'd still allowed herself to be a victim. Jonathan had made her ashamed and weak. He had controlled her through her fear. A fear she was finding tough to relinquish but every part of her was determined that one day she would succeed.

Lifting the towel from the edge of the bath, Stephanie tilted her head to the side. She patted at the damp ends of her hair as she made her way into the hallway, her bare feet sinking into the soft beige carpet. She felt better now she had come to a decision tonight. A decision she hoped her family agreed with, Paul too for that matter. She was relying on his support more than anyone. Stephanie saw his bedroom door was open. She smiled as she listened to him sing some song she faintly recognised. He was packing for the show tomorrow and his flight left first thing in the morning. Dropping the towel to her side, Stephanie stepped into his bedroom. It was filled with the soft glow of the bedside lamp. The volume was low on the television. Paul spotted her immediately. His brown eyes smiled at her as threw his holdall onto the bed. "Hey."

"Hey." she replied. Her hand pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. Paul was stuffing a pair of jeans into his bag and she wandered slowly towards him. "I would have knocked but your door was open."

Paul grinned as he picked up a t-shirt. "Yeah, yeah. I've heard that excuse before. But I know you McMahon. I know you were hoping to catch me naked."

Stephanie smiled and shook her head as she placed her damp towel on the bed. "Sadly you're under the impression you have something I want to see."

"Of course you do, Steph." he smirked as he packed the top into his bag. "Admit it. Secretly you want me."

"In your dreams, Levesque."

"Every night, baby." he replied winking at her.

Stephanie chuckled and sat down on the edge of the bed. The covers crumpled underneath her. Paul really was something else with his little innuendos but it was like a breath of fresh air. Everything had been so tense and serious the past few days. It was nice to able to smile for a change.

"Enjoy your bath?"

Stephanie nodded her head as she picked at a loose thread.

"That's an interesting nightshirt by the way."

A lop sided grin crossed her face as she tugged the bottom hem of Paul's t-shirt over her bare legs. "You like it?" she teased.

"It looks good on you." He paused for a second as he pushed back his hair. "Of course it would look even better off you." he snickered. His big hand batted away the towel that Stephanie threw at his face.

"You're a pig, Paul." she laughed. She watched him continue to pack. She wished he would put his clothes in carefully instead of shoving them in any which way. They were going to be a crumpled mess by the time he got to the hotel.

"I called Mom. She's more than happy to come and stay with you while I'm gone." he said lifting his head towards her. Stephanie smiled.

"Thanks but that won't be necessary."

Paul frowned at her. "Steph, I don't want you staying here alone." he warned.

"But I won't be alone. I'll be with you."

He rubbed at his chin. His brown eyes stared at her quizzically. "What do you mean you'll be with me?"

Stephanie rubbed her clammy hands nervously against her thighs. It was time to tell him her decision. A decision she prayed he understood. "Paul, I'm going back to work."

"What?"

His mouth parted as he stared at her silently for a second. She could see he was concerned. Paul was always so protective over her. He constantly looked out for her.

"Do you think that's such a good idea?"

She pressed her lips together in a smile. "Well I can't stay locked in here forever."

"No, but at least I know you're safe here."

"Yes and I can be safe at work too. Besides, you'll be on the road with me. I'll have a big, strong wrestler to protect me."

"I'm being serious here, Stephanie." he scolded.

"I know and so am I." Her blue eyes pleaded with him to understand. "I have to try and get on with my life Paul. I have to do this."

Paul sighed heavily as he shifted the bag to the top of the bed. He sat down next to her causing the mattress to squeak lightly underneath his weight. His brown eyes were thoughtful as he looked into her eyes. Truthfully, he was completely torn over her decision to go back. Part of him was happy because he wanted her beside him. He wanted Stephanie close so to him he could be sure he could protect her. The last time he had left her here alone he had been sick with worry. His mind was unable to rest as her safety preyed on him. However there was the other part of him that hated the thought of her being on the road. Stephanie would be exposed. Jonathan could find her at any time. All he had to do was turn up at a show or the hotel. Not that he would have the chance to even lay a finger on her. If Stephanie was doing this, he wasn't letting her out of his sight. Not for one second.

"You do understand that, don't you?"

Paul slowly nodded his head. He smiled softly. "I'm just worried about you, that's all."

"I'll be fine." replied Stephanie as she reached out and rested her hand on his leg. She squeezed his thigh through the denim. "I'm just sick and tired of letting him win. I'm tired of being so damn weak. It's not who I am, Paul. It's not who I want to be."

He nodded once more as he chewed on his lip thoughtfully. "What about your father though?" he asked as he placed his hand over hers. It felt warm and soft. He could smell the scent of her shampoo.

"What about him?"

"Have you told him your decision?"

"Not yet but I will."

Paul sighed softly and frowned. He could only imagine what Vince's reaction would be. He had been pissed off when Stephanie had told him she was staying here. Paul hadn't taken it personally though. Vince only wanted to protect his daughter. He wanted to make sure she was safe from that bastard. It was only when Stephanie had explained her fear at seeing Jonathan everywhere that Vince had grudgingly accepted her decision. Hopefully he would understand this one too. Stephanie was right. She had to get on with her life. She had to stake some claim at getting back her freedom.

"You are happy with my decision, aren't you?" asked Stephanie.

Her blue eyes scanned his face. Paul could see a trace of disappointment there. He realised Stephanie was obviously relying on his support. He knew he couldn't let her down.

"Oh yeah. It's just great." he replied, rolling his eyes. "I mean, I'm stuck with you at home. Now I'm stuck with you on the road. It's just peachy."

Stephanie grinned. He saw the happiness in her face and he felt his heart swell. There was no way he could refuse her what she wanted even if he wanted to.

"You know a girl could take offence at that remark."

"Or she could take the hint."

"You know I'm beginning to wonder why I put up with you."

"I told you, Steph. You want me."

Stephanie laughed and shook her head. Her damp hair moved softly across her shoulders. "You're delusional, Paul." As her laughter faded, she sat and just looked at him for a second. Her eyes held a grateful expression as they watched him. "Thank you." she said softly.

"For what?"

She shrugged her shoulders shyly. "For making me smile. For helping me to somehow find the strength to try and get on with my life."

Paul shook his head. His brown eyes were gentle. "You did that one all on your own." He paused for a second and pressed his lips together in a smile. "You're a strong person, Stephanie."

She licked her lips and sighed. "Funny. I don't feel strong."

"You are." he said simply. His hand reached across and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Hell, you're one of the strongest people I know."

Stephanie was silent and rested her head on his shoulder. Paul's arm slid around her pulling her to him. The warmth of his body comforted her and she knew any strength she had she drew from Paul. So many times when she'd been close to breaking he was the one that had picked her back up and had somehow given her courage to fight. Paul was her rock. He was the glue that held her together. Without him, she had been in real danger of falling apart. God only knows where she would be without him although at times she thought she relied on him too much. Other times she knew she couldn't be without him.

"But I just need to know. Are you really sure you're ready to do this, Steph?" he asked softly.

Stephanie nodded. She could feel his steady breathing around her.

"Then I'll support you no matter what. You just have to promise me one thing in return."

Stephanie lifted her head. Paul's hand fell to the mattress. His brown eyes were concerned and his facial expression was serious. "What?" she asked. She bit down on her lip.

"Promise me that you'll always let me know where you are. That you'll make sure you're never alone."

His eyes searched her face. Stephanie nodded, touched by his need to protect her. "I will."

"Promise me." Paul said sternly. His arm gripped her shoulder.

"I do." Her blue eyes were wide. "I promise."

"Good." Paul swallowed hard and his big hand rubbed her arm affectionately. He just prayed to God he was doing the right thing by agreeing with Stephanie's decision. He would never ever forgive himself if something did happen to her. The thought alone made him feel sick to his stomach.

"I know I'm doing the right thing, Paul. I also know I can't keep living in fear of Jonathan." Stephanie said. She smiled at him, her lips trembling lightly at the corners. "But the thought of going back out there and risking the chance that he might find me?" She pressed her lips together and paused for a second. Paul looked into her eyes seeing them gloss over with tears. She looked so afraid and vulnerable and it tugged at his heart. "It terrifies me, Paul. I'm so scared."

Her words were practically a whisper. Unable to stop himself, Paul pulled Stephanie to him and wrapped his arms around her. He gripped her tightly as his cheek rested in the damp strands of her hair. "I'll not let anything happen to you, Steph. I'll keep you safe. I promise you that."

Stephanie rested her face in the crook of his neck and let out a shaky breath. She felt so protected in Paul's arms. When he held her like this, she believed she truly was safe. As his big hand softly rubbed her back, Stephanie knew he would keep his promise to her. Paul would never let her down. She trusted him in everything. God, she needed him so much right now. At times she felt she could drown without him. Paul had come to mean so much to her lately. She couldn't imagine surviving without him in her life. Part of her wasn't sure she even wanted to. The other part of her was scared to death of what the hell that actually meant.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

"Thank the Lord!" muttered Stephanie under her breath as her father ended the meeting. She closed over her planner and threw her pen on the table. Chairs scraped across the floor as the wrestlers began to leave the room. She deliberately kept her head down as their low hum of conversation followed them out into the corridor. Her eyes focused on her yellow skirt and her hands smoothed down the wrinkles. She knew she was being standoffish and rude but right now, she just didn't care. She wasn't in the mood for talking to anyone. Not when all it led to was questions about her absence and where she had been this past month. She just wasn't ready to face it. Today was hard enough without dealing with that.

Stephanie pushed back a lock of hair and puffing her cheeks out, she sighed loudly. She felt the table shift as he sat down next to her on the old chipped wood. Paul. His thick forearms rested on his denim clad thighs. She tilted her head up to see him smiling gently at her, his blonde hair falling softly around his broad shoulders. She noticed everyone else had left including her father. They were all alone in the small dingy room.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

His brown eyes were warm and concerned. Ever since they'd arrived at the arena Paul had been constantly looking out for her. He had never left her side once unwittingly fuelling the rumours currently circulating in the back. Poor Paul! He was every bit the topic of conversation as she was at the moment. His bitch of an ex girlfriend had seen to that.

Stephanie returned his smile and nodded. "Although I think my brain is completely frazzled. God knows how I'll get the changes to the script done in time for tonight. I think Dad totally rewrote the damn thing."

Paul chuckled as Stephanie sat back in her chair. her fingers rubbing at her forehead. Vince sure wasn't taking it easy on his daughter on her first day back. Although deep down Paul knew Stephanie didn't want it any other way. She thrived for this. She loved the craziness and the adrenaline of working in the business. In fact, she had been the one to tell Vince she wanted no special treatment at all. She was desperate for her life to get back to normal. Well, as normal as it could be after all Stephanie had been through. And while Vince had been sceptical at first, he had given her his blessing to return. Talking to her, he realised how much coming back had meant to her. Vince had also had a quiet word with Shane and himself afterwards. Between the three of them, Stephanie would be protected at all times. There was no way that bastard Jonathan was getting to her. If he even had the balls to come looking for her that was. He was a gutless prick and besides, no one had seen him or heard from him in weeks. However, they weren't naive enough to believe Stephanie was safe. She wasn't, at least not for now anyhow.

"I can help you out. I've got time to kill anyways." offered Paul scratching at the stubble on his chin.

Stephanie frowned slightly, her blue eyes narrowing in his direction. "I thought you mentioned something about going to the gym."

He shook his head. "No. I already had a workout this morning." he lied.

"When?"

"Before we had breakfast." Paul licked his lips and glanced away briefly. The truth was he had planned to go the gym while Vince kept an eye on his daughter this afternoon. However, Vince had a problem with some network negotiations that he had just rushed off to attend to. Shane wasn't arriving until at the arena until later. That meant Stephanie would be alone and there was no chance in hell that was happening. Even with the security in the building, he didn't trust her to be safe. He'd never forgive himself if on some off chance Jonathan came looking for her. He had made a promise to protect her and protect her he would. It just wasn't an option to him to let her down.

"You're lying to me. I know what you're doing you know."

Paul glanced back at her. Stephanie wore a soft expression on her face. She placed her hand on top of his forearm and she squeezed it gently. Her fingers felt lovely and warm against his skin.

"You're staying with me, making sure I'm not alone."

Paul sighed softly and shrugged his shoulders. There was no point in pretending any differently. She knew him – and her family - far too well. "You know the score, Steph. We agreed, remember?"

"I remember." She paused for a second and shook her head slightly. Her hand fell away as she felt a rush of gratefulness towards him. Deep down she was glad. The thought of being alone terrified her. "I just don't want you giving up your time. You haven't been to the gym all weekend. I know you were looking forward to it." Her lips slowly upturned in a smile. "And God knows the last thing we need is our champ turning flabby."

Stephanie giggled as Paul pretended to scowl. His finger reached over and poked her in her side. She let out a squeal and her chair shifted backwards. Paul jumped down from the table and was leaning over her. His fingers began to tickle her side mercilessly. "Paul, stop. Please!" she screamed as she squirmed against him.

"Apologise."

"Never!" she replied defiantly. Stephanie's eyes began to gloss over with her laughter. The table shifted as Paul knocked against it. Her pen rolled across the wood. "Stop it!" she screamed once more.

"Is everything okay in here?"

Paul quickly stepped back at the sound of the voice in the doorway. He looked over his shoulder to see Test smirking in their direction. Paul raked his fingers through his hair and awkwardly cleared his throat. "Everything is fine, thanks."

Andrew nodded and still grinning, he left the room. Smug fucking asshole! Paul shook his head and sighed. Martin had a mouth on him and no doubt the whole locker room would get to hear about this. The shithead was still smarting over his supposed missed opportunity. As if that untalented piece of crap was main event material anyway. Regardless, the ribbing he got about Stephanie was bad enough already. They all teased him about being in tight with the boss's daughter. Their storyline together provided the guys with plenty of ammunition. When he won the belt, they even joked that it was because he had finally nailed her. Thank fuck not one of them suspected the real truth. And they never would. His feelings for Stephanie would remain locked away in his heart where they belonged. Hopefully in time even he might forget they were there although the chances of that happening were practically zero. Every day he fell more deeply in love with her, so much so that it was beginning to overwhelm him.

Sighing softly, Paul looked over towards her and he saw the worried look on her beautiful face. Stephanie was pulling on her bottom lip and her brow was furrowed. Paul sat back down on the table. His long legs stretched out in front of him. "Steph, what's wrong?"

Her blue eyes were wide when she looked up at him. She pressed her lips together in a small, tight smile. "Nothing."

He shook his head. "Now you're the one that's lying to me." he frowned. Paul hunched forward and rested his arms on his thick thighs. He tucked his blonde hair behind his left ear as his brown eyes drew level with hers. He noticed Stephanie's fingers twisting together in her lap. That alone told him something was up. Her mannerisms made her an open book at times. "Talk to me. What's troubling you? Was it Martin walking in on us just now?"

Stephanie sighed softly contemplating whether or not to tell him the truth. She'd only found out herself this morning. She hadn't had a chance to say anything to Paul yet. Amy had caught her on her way into this meeting. That was when she had warned her about that bitch Joanie. Amy hated her every bit as much as she did. She had apparently been having a field day spreading horrible lies. Lies that affected both her reputation and Paul's and the last thing she wanted was to have to deal with them. But with Andrew walking in on them just now, she really had no choice. Not any more. Unfortunately though, Paul was the one that would take the brunt of the gossip in the back. It was only fair that she warned him what he was up against. She just felt bad putting him in this predicament. Paul already took so much heat for being her friend. He'd become her best friend actually. No one in her life had come through for her the way that Paul had. He had come to mean so much to her. At times she thought maybe just a little too much and that scared her.

"Steph?"

His eyes were staring at her intently. Stephanie's teeth pulled on her bottom lip as she let herself look into them. His deep brown orbs contained an array of emotions. Sometimes she swore she could tell how Paul felt just by his eyes. Right now they were filled with worry and compassion for her. She let a slow breath escape from her lips. Any minute now they would be dark with his anger. Joanie always found a way to push Paul's buttons. He had to have been a saint to have put up with her shit for all those years. Thankfully though he had got a clue and dumped her manly ass. It wasn't before time either. It had been long overdue in her eyes anyway. Paul was far too nice a guy to be involved with the likes of her.

"Joanie's been spreading lies about you, Paul. Lies about us."

Paul's mouth parted and he shook his head. He was silent for a second as he absorbed what she had told him. His nose was scrunched with anger. "What do you mean lies about us? What the fuck has she been saying now?"

"Only that we've been having an affair and that Jonathan found out about it."

"What?!" Paul growled as he stood up abruptly from the table. He pushed his hair back angrily, his hand resting on the top of his head for a moment. The hem of his navy t-shirt came loose from his jeans. He clenched his jaw remaining silent for a moment. He honestly couldn't believe the audacity of that bitch. Every chance she got Joanie bad mouthed Steph. Fuck, he still wanted to kill her for the time she involved Jonathan. Her jealousies and vindictiveness had almost cost Stephanie her life. He had deliberately stayed out of her way though not wanting to cause any trouble. He had made a promise to Vince he would act strictly professionally around her. But God knows she was making it hard not to break that promise especially when she was running her ugly mouth off to anyone who would listen. Fortunately, anyone with half a brain knew she was full of shit.

"I guess I should thank her. I mean, it saves me admitting the real reason why my marriage is over." Stephanie said dryly. She pushed back her chair and stood up.

Paul sighed heavily as his hand dropped to his side. Loose strands of hair fell around his face. "I'm sorry, Steph. I'll talk to her. I'll make sure she keeps her mouth shut from now on."

"It doesn't matter." she replied, shaking her head.

"Yes it does." Paul reached out and gently squeezed her shoulder. His hand rested there feeling the warmth through her black round necked top. "Coming back today was hard enough for you without having to cope with this fucking mess."

"I can handle it."

"Can you?" His face was etched with his concern.

The corners of Stephanie's mouth quivered, threatening a smile. "Well I have do have some experience in dealing with psychotic exes."

Paul pressed his lips together as he tried to suppress a smile of his own. But God, it was good to see her able to joke about what she had been through even if the thought of it still made him sick to his stomach. Stephanie was an amazing woman in his eyes. She was strong, a survivor. "This isn't funny." he said.

"I know." she nodded. Her blue eyes looked back at him, determined. "But you know what? I refuse to give her the satisfaction of getting to me. You should do the same."

Paul shook his head. "She's not getting away with this, Steph. People will talk."

Stephanie sighed as her finger pushed away the loose strand of hair that had fallen across his eye. "Then you're giving her a reaction, Paul and that's what she wants from you. Ignore her. It will drive her nuts." She paused briefly and smiled at him. "Well, even more nuts than she is already."

Paul chuckled as Stephanie began to retrieve her belongings from the table. She clipped the pen to the front of her planner and flicked her hair back across her shoulder.

"Well I guess I should try and get some work done before Dad comes back and makes even more changes to tonight."

"Then lead the way, princess." Paul stepped aside to let her pass. His footsteps echoed behind hers as they made their way out into the corridor. It was practically deserted. There were still a good few hours until show time. He smiled and acknowledged a member of the ring crew sipping coffee by the machine. He glanced over at Stephanie. "My offer still stands to help you out, you know."

She turned her head and beamed. "Thank you. You're an absolute angel, Paul. Maybe we can squeeze in our lines too before the show."

"We have a segment together?" he asked surprised.

Stephanie nodded as she pushed open the door to the dressing room. She immediately noticed the coffee pot sitting in the corner. She sighed gratefully. Her list of demands around here were usually few and far between but she always insisted on having coffee. And right now, she could murder some caffeine. God knows she needed something to fuel her fried brain cells. Throwing her belongings on the small sofa, she went to pour herself a cup. Her heels clicked against the cracked concrete. She heard the door click shut behind her.

"You want some coffee?" she called out to Paul.

"No thanks."

Stephanie poured the hot black liquid into the Styrofoam cup. She inhaled the strong heavenly aroma.

"So when did this happen?" asked Paul. He picked up a copy of the script from the small black leather sofa. His thick fingers began to flick through the pages curiously. They were covered in Stephanie's neat and looped writing.

"Late last night. I asked Dad to write me in to the show." Stephanie took a mouthful of the hot liquid as she walked across to Paul. His eyes were eagerly scanning the page in front of him. His brow was furrowed in concentration.

"Do you think that's a good idea?"

"Well I don't know." She took another sip from her coffee and peered over his broad shoulder. She could smell his cologne and the faint trace of fabric softener from his shirt. "Unfortunately I think I have to kiss you at some point."

Paul glanced up and looked at her sternly. "Steph, I'm being serious here."

Her blue eyes glinted at him. "And so am I. The Game might try and slip me the tongue. He has threatened to on more than one occasion."

Paul bit back his smile and shook his head.

"Maybe I should have some garlic at lunch and ward you off." she grinned.

Her grin was infectious. Paul found himself smiling in spite of himself. "You're a nut, McMahon." He threw himself down onto the sofa, resting back against the cushions. He stretched his long legs out in front of him and placed the script down next to him. His expression shifted as he watched Stephanie drink her coffee and check her cell phone. His brown eyes narrowed thoughtfully in her direction and he had to admit he was nervous about their segment together not to mention worried about her. He didn't want Stephanie taking on more than she could handle right now. She'd been through so much stress and emotional strain lately. Putting herself in the show only added to her crazy schedule. But then again that was Stephanie. She was never happier than when she was flying around at a hundred miles an hour. It was one of the reasons why they had clicked straight away. She was someone who lived and breathed for this business just as much as he did, probably even more. She was so dedicated and passionate about every single aspect of it.

"Hey Levesque, fancy taking a girl for lunch before I tackle the mountain of tasks I have to get through?" Stephanie smiled as she looked up from her phone. She slid it shut as she took a mouthful of her drink.

Paul pressed his lips together and smiled, his thoughts interrupted. "You're not going to be happy until you bankrupt me, are you?"

"Hardly. I know what you earn remember?"

"That may be but it's still not enough. Do you know how much it costs to keep you? Daddy dearest will need to give me a raise if I have to keep this up much longer."

Stephanie placed down her coffee and grabbed his leather jacket from the back of the large chair. "Stop whining, Paul and put on your coat. It's cold outside." She grinned as she threw it over in his direction. He caught it and she grabbed her own jacket and pulled it on. Her manicured fingers fastened the small round buttons.

"Are you sure we want to be seen out together?"

Stephanie lifted her head and looked at Paul curiously. "Why? Are you ashamed to be seen out with me?" she teased.

"Well that and well……." His attempted smile faded as his feet shifted on the floor. Paul stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets as he looked at her slightly awkwardly. "People are going to talk."

"They're talking about us anyway."

"That may be but do we really want to add fuel to the fire?" His brown eyes were gentle as they searched her face. "It's not so much me I'm worried about but you. You've got enough on your plate without all this hassle."

"You're sweet but honestly, you don't have to worry." Stephanie smiled as she reached out and touched his arm. "We're friends, Paul. Nothing is going to get in the way of that. If people can't deal with it, then that's just tough! Let them say what the hell they want. They're going to anyway regardless of what we do and quite frankly, it's the least of my problems."

Paul nodded his head and sighed.

"It puts you in an awkward position though. I know you get some stick from the guys about me."

"Nah." he smiled. "They're just jealous it's not them."

Stephanie smiled shyly and tugged on his arm. "Come on smooth talker. The sooner we eat, the sooner we get back."

She opened the door and they stepped out into the corridor. It was still quiet and not many people were around. Their footsteps echoed down the narrow hallway as Stephanie hooked her arm through Paul's and they made their way towards the exit. They didn't even notice Joanie as she stood in the shadows watching them. Her face wore a hurt and bitter expression. She could feel her heart literally aching inside. She missed Paul so much. It should be her that was with him, not Stephanie. That fucking billion dollar whore had ruined her life. She'd spread her legs and promised Paul the world. Of course he was stupid and naïve enough to believe her. Paul always was too trusting. He liked to believe the very best in people. He couldn't see that Stephanie was only using him until some other piece of talent came along. He was nothing more than a play thing to her. He wasn't part of her world and he never could be. But it would only be a matter of time before he saw that and was back in her arms. It was where he belonged. She just needed to find some way to remind him of that. She would do whatever it took to get Paul back. She wasn't prepared to lose him. Not to her. Not to anyone.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Paul's brown eyes were focused on the dirty concrete floor as he walked along the deserted corridor chewing on his gum. His black gym bag hung from his left shoulder and his big hand loosely gripped the strap. His body felt heavy and tired and his muscles ached. He'd overdone it with the number of reps and with only a couple of hours to go until the show it hadn't been the cleverest of ideas on his part. He had a tag match with Test and Albert tonight, not that it was any stretch on his ability. He could fight those jerks with his eyes closed. He didn't know why he was even in a match with them in the first place. If he didn't know any better, he'd think he'd done something to piss Vince off. As it was, the boss was apparently in a good mood. Shane had arrived this afternoon with the news that Vince was extremely pleased with how his network negotiations were developing before whisking Stephanie away to discuss a couple of things and run over the script for the show. It finally gave himself a chance to catch a workout and try and clear his head.

Paul pushed open the door to the dressing room he shared with Stephanie and immediately inhaled the aroma of coffee. He shook his head lightly amused as he threw his gym bag down hitting the floor with a dull thud. There were at least three different mugs scattered across the small table. One of them was still half full and sitting on top of Stephanie's planner. He had forgotten how much caffeine she consumed when she was working. She was a constant buzz of energy backstage and it was little wonder when she drank enough of the stuff to sink a small ship. As Paul surveyed the small room, he wondered where Stephanie had gotten to. Her jacket was thrown across the back of the small sofa and the script for tonight was lying open and dog-eared on the table. Her neat looped scrawl was visible all across the pages. She was probably still with Shane. He knew he wouldn't let his sister out of his sight.

Paul sighed heavily as he sat down and wearily rubbed at his face. His head flopped back against the cushions as his mind drifted to the show and more importantly, the promo with Stephanie. Quite honestly, it was one of the reasons why he had pushed himself so hard in the gym. The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. He wasn't sure he liked the idea of her being exposed on television especially when there was every chance that bastard could be watching her. In fact he knew he didn't like it. Jonathan could even be following her to each show waiting for his chance to get his filthy hands on her. Not that it would ever happen, not while he had a breath left in his body. He would kill him first and happily face the consequences of his actions, even if it meant breaking his promise to Stephanie. Her safety was all that mattered to him. He would do everything in his power to protect her. Still, the idea of that sick fuck knowing her whereabouts made him feel on edge.

Paul stood up quickly, his muscles screaming in protest as he tugged on the bottom hem on his black t-shirt. He decided to head down to the ring. It would be set up for the show already and maybe he would practice a couple of moves. Anything to keep himself occupied and stop himself from going crazy. Maybe when Stephanie got back, he would talk to her. God knows, he had to try. The more he thought of her being out there tonight, the sicker he felt.

Paul kept his head bowed as he walked along the corridor. His black shoes scuffed along the concrete as he slowly chewed on his gum. He wasn't in the mood for talking to anyone and that including the mindless idiots looking for gossip thanks to his bitch of an ex girlfriend. He'd seen the curious glances and smiles thrown his way this afternoon. Apparently Stephanie wasn't lying when she'd said they were the hot topic of conversation. Quite frankly, it was the least of his worries though. Thankfully the hallway was practically deserted for the moment anyway. He smiled at a member of the lighting crew before making his way down the ramp. Shane was already in the ring and Paul pressed his lips together as his concerned brown eyes scanned the empty arena. Stephanie wasn't with him. Where on earth was she?

"Hey Game."

Paul climbed between the ropes and his big hand pushed back the hair that had fallen across his face. "Hey. Where's Steph?"

Shane smiled at his slightly panicked tone as he gestured to the far end of the seating area to his right. "Relax. She's just over there, talking to Pat. Apparently my father has just been on the phone making another change to tonight's show."

Paul felt his shoulders slump with relief. Okay, he was probably being a little overprotective but with the way he felt right now, he couldn't help it. He couldn't get her or her safety out of his mind.

"By the way, speaking of Dad, I thought you should know he has been making plans to take care of Jonathan."

"Take care of him?" questioned Paul as he placed his weight against the thick red ropes, his arms resting across them.

"Let's just say he's planning to make his life incredibly difficult." Shane pulled his cell phone out of his black trouser pocket and held it in his hand, shifting his feet on the mat. "He started the ball rolling today by terminating his company's legal services and filing a complaint of overcharging against him."

Paul's brown eyes widened as he pushed himself off the ropes and wandered across to stand directly in front of Shane. "You're serious?"

He nodded. "And that's just the start of it." His gaze drifted to his sister. "I know we'd all like to beat the living crap out of that bastard for what he did to Steph but this is the only way I guess." His brown eyes fell on Paul once more. "Well the only way that doesn't involve any of us ending up behind bars."

"Does Stephanie know about it?"

Shane shook his head. "Dad doesn't want to tell her. Not just yet. Not until he's sure Jonathan will be out of her life for good. No doubt he'll have a couple of other things up his sleeve too."

Paul nodded his head as Shane wandered over to the ropes. There was no doubt in his mind that Vince would use every penny and every resource he had to make sure Jonathan got what was coming to him and the sooner the better as far as he was concerned. The guy was total scum and deserved everything that was coming to him.

"Listen, I need to make a few calls. Can we finish this later?"

Paul smiled. "Sure. I need to think about getting ready for the show anyway."

"You'll take care of Steph for me?"

He nodded and looked over to where she had been standing. She was still talking to Pat. Her hands were animated as she explained something to him. Paul smiled and walked to the edge of the ring as his thick forearms rested on the padded turnbuckle. He hunched forward and sighed as he gazed out at the empty arena. His thoughts drifted and he wasn't sure how long he had been standing there. All he knew was that he jumped slightly startled when he heard her voice just behind him.

"You're looking a little preoccupied there, Levesque. What's up?"

Paul turned his head to the side to see Stephanie standing beside him. She was smiling holding a bunch of papers in her hand. His lips curved upwards. She looked very pretty today and more importantly, happy. He knew how much it meant for her to get back to work, being a part of what she loved. He just hated the risk involved. He sighed softly as he stared back towards the empty rows of red plastic seats. "It's hard to believe isn't it?"

"What is?"

Paul stepped back from the turnbuckle and pulling on the draw string of his track pants, his brown eyes settled on Stephanie's face. "Well, in a couple of hours, this place will be full. There will be an endless sea of faces out there."

Stephanie's lips upturned into a slow, crooked grin. "You know, that's kind of the whole idea. Without an audience, there would be no show."

He sniffed and shook his head. "Smart-ass."

"I try." she laughed but her laughter faded as she saw Paul's serious expression. There was no mistaking the concern in his brown eyes. The same concern she'd seen all through lunch and even afterwards though he'd tried his best to hide it from her. The problem was Paul was like an open book to her at times especially over the last couple of months. She'd got to know him so well. They'd become so close.

"Look, what I'm trying to say is, well……" Paul paused for a second as his feet shifted and his hand gestured towards the empty rows in front of them. He sighed softly as he looked at her. "You just don't know who is out there or who could be watching you."

Stephanie licked her lips before pressing them together. Her arms wrapped around herself as she slowly shook her head, her long chestnut strands shifting across her shoulders. "I knew it. I knew this was coming."

Paul remained silent as his gaze drifted briefly to the mat.

"I could see it, you know. I could see it in your face. You're not happy about me doing this promo with you tonight are you?"

Paul slowly lifted his head, his eyes meeting her big blue ones. "Quite honestly, no."

"Then fine. I won't do it." she said surprising him and confusing him all at the same time. She stared at him defiantly. "I'll stay in the back like some weak, scared coward if that's what you want."

Paul's forehead tensed as his hand reached out to touch her shoulder. "Steph, you're missing the point here."

"Am I? Am I really?"

"Yes!"

Stephanie shook her head as she began slowly backing away from him. "You know, I don't have the time for this. I have a show to run unless of course you don't think I'm capable of that either."

"Don't be ridiculous." he replied. Paul threw his hands up in the air in disbelief as he watched her leave the ring. "Steph!"

"Just leave it, Paul. I'm going to talk to Shane."

He watched her in stunned silence as she walked up the ramp. The rest of the night he'd barely found the time to talk to her. Stephanie was too busy backstage and probably deliberately avoiding him in the process. When he'd eventually made it back to the dressing room, her script and planner were gone. At least, she'd kept to her word and he'd done the promo alone. It was a weight off his mind. He couldn't help but feel relieved about that. It wasn't until he was showered and changed that Stephanie made an appearance. Her stony silence followed her into the room. Her blue eyes refused to look in his direction as she marched across to the coffee pot, her back remaining turned to him. Paul shook his head and began to approach her. Her damn McMahon stubbornness was showing. He was slowly getting used to it though. God knows he'd experienced it more than a few times the past couple of months. His big hand pushed through his damp blonde strands while Stephanie poured herself some coffee. He sighed softly as his hands clenched awkwardly at his sides.

"Steph….."

She walked away from him gripping the coffee mug in her hand. She took a sip before throwing down her stuff down on the small table. Her pen rolled across the wood. She sat on the edge of the sofa, her head slightly bowed. Paul watched her for a second as her manicured finger lightly traced the rim of the mug.

"Look, I know you're still pissed off with me but the truth is I'd rather deal with your anger than be constantly worried sick about you, constantly worried that Jonathan is out there watching you, plotting some way to get his hands on you."

He sat down beside her, his weight causing the soft leather to creak. His thick forearms rested on his parted thighs as he turned his head in her direction. Stephanie was still staring at the floor, her body tense and still.

"I just hate the thought of you being in any danger and quite frankly Steph, going out there tonight was like waving a red rag to a bull." he explained. "I mean, when you first told me, I was okay with it. At least I tried to be. I tried to be supportive but the more I thought about you out there, exposed like that, well…….." Paul paused and swallowed thickly. The truth was he couldn't bear to think about it at all. He couldn't stand the thought of anything happening to her. Not when she meant so much to him. "I just couldn't do it, Steph. I would never forgive myself if something happened to you."

"I know." she whispered. She reached across placing her coffee cup on the table. Her hands absently rubbed against her legs smoothing down the wrinkles of her yellow skirt. She couldn't help but feel incredibly guilty at how she had treated Paul. God knows he didn't deserve it, not when he only ever had her best interests at heart. He had proved that time and time again from the moment she had involved him in her fucked up life. He had really had gone above and beyond for her. The last thing he deserved was her anger or even her deceit. Stephanie slowly lifted her head, her guilt increasing as she saw the overwhelming look of concern on his handsome face. She had to explain. She instinctively reached for his hand, her fingers curling over his. The corner of her lips trembled with her nervous smile.

"You want to know the truth? I would have bottled it anyway." Her fingertip absently traced the gold band on his left ring finger he still wore from the show. "I knew deep down that I couldn't go through with the promo. Blowing up at you and blaming you, well it was a convenient excuse for me. I didn't have to admit to you how scared I was. I'm so sorry, Paul."

He shook his head as his other hand lifted, brushing a loose strand from her face. His facial expression was gentle and understanding. "Forget it. The main thing is you didn't put yourself at risk. You're safe, Steph. That's all that matters to me."

He smiled and went to get up from the seat. Stephanie stopped him, her hand still gripping his and tugging him back towards her.

"Wait, that's not it."

Paul's brow furrowed in confusion.

"See, I need to apologise for lying to you too."

His brown eyes widened at her confession and Stephanie shifted in her seat to face him. She swallowed hard as she silently pleaded for him to understand, to forgive her.

"Paul, Dad never approved the segment in the first place."

He pressed his lips together in obvious disapproval. Stephanie hurriedly began to explain.

"I wrote it in myself. I was just so determined to try and get my life back to normal as quick as possible. Surely you can understand that."

Paul slowly shook his head, the disbelief written across his face. "Sure, maybe I can understand that but what I can't understand is you putting yourself at risk like that. You know he's out there, Steph. You know he's pretty much guaranteed to be watching for you."

"I know, okay. I know that." she cried.

"Then surely you know you can't go around taking chances like that."

"Look, it was stupid, I know that now." admitted Stephanie.

Paul sighed as his hand lifted, rubbing at his tense forehead.

"But for one crazy moment I thought by going out there, I would be proving to Jonathan that he couldn't take this business away from me too because really, he's taken away everything else from me. This…." She paused for a second giving Paul a sad smile. "Well this is pretty much all I have left now."

His big hand dropped to his lap as the expression in his brown eyes softened.

"You've got me too if that counts for anything."

Stephanie's lips quivered with her grateful smile as she squeezed his hand firmly. "Of course it does. It counts for more than you could ever know."

She reached up and wrapped her arm around his neck allowing her head to rest on massive shoulder. She closed her eyes feeling comforted by Paul's warmth and familiarity. As his big hand rubbed slowly down her back, she felt an unexpected rush of emotion, something that overwhelmed her. Stephanie squeezed her eyes tightly shut quickly pushing the feelings aside. She was all over the place right now. She was confused and an emotional mess. She was just mixed up, she was sure of it. But if that was the case why did she feel absolutely terrified but yet at the same time, just not want to let go.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

"Shane, have you seen Paul?" Stephanie called out to her brother as she flicked off the light switch and adjusting the strap of her pink leather handbag, she closed over the door behind her.

"Last I saw him he was heading back to his dressing room."

She pressed her lips together thoughtfully. "Then I'd better go chase him up. He promised to take me back to the hotel ages ago."

"Yeah well if he's not there, you'd better come and find me. I don't want you going back alone, you hear me?" warned Shane, his finger pointing in her direction.

Stephanie's mouth curved into a smile. "Loud and clear."

"Good. Nice to know you listen on occasion."

"Ha ha."

"I'll be in the office with Dad if you need me."

Stephanie nodded as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "You guys won't be here that long though, will you?"

Shane shook his head quickly as he pulled at the collar of his white shirt loosening it from his neck. "Well at least I hope not. You know what Dad can get like over contract negotiations."

"In that case, I'm out of here before he realises I'm still around and decides I have to get involved."

"Good idea." chuckled Shane as he watched her turn to leave. "Just remember what I told you." he called out after her.

Stephanie's hand lifted in a wave of acknowledgement as she began to walk along the deserted corridor. Her heels clicked almost eerily in the silence as she flicked her hair over her shoulder and approached Paul's dressing room. It was open just a fraction and she knocked gently on the grey painted wood.

"Yeah?"

Stephanie smiled at his voice and popped her head around the door to see Paul sitting on the chipped wooden bench. His head rested back against the wall with his messy blonde hair pushed back behind his ears. The previously wet strands were now practically dry and a fluffy white towel was draped across his right thigh as his long legs stretched out across the grubby concrete floor. As Stephanie sat down next to him his lips curved up gently in acknowledgement and she could see his brown eyes were heavy. She wasn't surprised. His match with Rocky tonight had been particularly long and brutal with both men giving it everything, even staying afterwards to entertain the crowd. It had been at least fifteen minutes before they'd finally appeared backstage, both men beaten but more than happy with the way things had played out. In fact, Paul had been practically grinning from ear to ear when she had talked to him. That was when he had told her to wait for him so he could take her back to the hotel though by the looks of him now, he wasn't planning on going anywhere anytime soon. She removed her bag from her shoulder and placed it beside her, patting his leg through the towel.

"So you staying in this locker room all night?" she teased.

His deep chuckle made his shoulders shake as he pushed himself slowly up the bench. "I'm seriously thinking about it."

Stephanie heard his laboured sigh and noticed that he'd gotten as far as untying the laces on his boots. He'd just still to remove them not to mention his leather trunks and pads although the tape on his hand and wrist were gone. "Paul, you haven't even changed out of your wrestling gear." she commented.

"Nope and that's because I'm far too tired to move."

"I'm not surprised. That was one hell of a match you put on out there tonight."

She saw the sparkle of pride in his eyes. "Yes it was." he grinned.

Stephanie snorted with amusement. "You don't have to brag on my account."

But her smile faded as she saw Paul try to sit forward and visibly wince. Her blue eyes watched him carefully as he slowly straightened up.

"How's your back?"

"It's fine." he replied stretching and twisting his torso to the left.

"Liar! I saw that bump you took off the edge of that announce table."

"You saw it? Well, I felt it."

"I'll bet you did." Stephanie replied, her tone laced with concern as she rubbed his arm affectionately but her hand fell away as Paul moved forward to hunch over and rest his forearms on his muscular thighs. There was a trace of a smile on his lips as he turned his head in her direction.

"But being a truly manly man I'm going to suck it up and refuse to complain about it."

"Thank God! For a minute there I thought I'd have to try and muster up some sympathy for you." she smirked.

"Wow. You're one cruel woman, Steph."

"Yes I am." she laughed as she cast a glance at the platinum watch on her wrist. "I'm cruel and I'm also absolutely starving. So hurry up and get a move on so we can get back to the hotel and eat."

"I see you've obviously forgotten the tired and can't move part of our conversation."

"And you've obviously forgotten about the sucking it up and refusing to complain."

He shook his head as he watched Stephanie stand up and smooth out the wrinkles on her black dress trousers. "You know it's at times like this that I wonder why we're even friends."

"We're friends?" she grinned as she held out her hand towards him. His handsome face flickered with his amusement as his hot sweaty palm covered hers.

"Barely." he quipped as he pulled himself to his feet and winced again as he felt that nagging pain in his back. The white towel fell to the floor and Stephanie bent over to retrieve it.

"Paul, you did get that checked out?" she asked as she threw the damp cotton down on the bench.

He rolled his eyes pretending to be bored with her concern. "Yes."

"And you're okay?"

"I'm fine. I just landed on it awkwardly that's all."

Stephanie watched him reach into his large black holdall and pull out his black t-shirt. As he pulled it over his head, she absently scratched at her head, confused.  
"Aren't you having a shower?"

"Nope." replied Paul as he tugged down the bottom hem and retrieved his crumpled track pants. His body was protesting at the simple movement but he ignored the aches and pains as he pulled them on. "I thought I'd do that back at the hotel while you order me in some dinner."

His laughter filled the dressing room as he saw Stephanie pretend to scowl and place her hands on her hips. His own hands pulled off his elbow pads as he threw them into the open bag.

"Oh is that right?"

"Come on. You know you like looking after me!" he winked as he raked his fingers through his hair.

"Cleaning up your mess, you mean."

"That too." he grinned as he pulled on his leather coat flicking the ends of his blonde strands over the collar. His thick fingers tugged at the zip on his bag before throwing it over his shoulder and turning to Stephanie. "So, are you ready to get out of here? I'm sick and tired of waiting on you."

"Waiting on me? You know you've got a damn nerve!" she scoffed as she picked up her own bag and followed him out of the door.

Two hours later they were settled back at the hotel and Stephanie was stretching her legs out across the small sofa feeling pleasantly full after her late meal of chicken and rice. She wriggled her bare toes as a glass of white wine dangled from her fingertips and she took a sip as she waited for Paul to finish his soak in the tub. She'd run him a bath after dinner hoping it would help ease his aches and pains. His back had been bothering him despite his protests to the contrary. That man was completely stubborn when it came to admitting to any kind of ailment so she had persistently nagged at him until he had snapped and stomped off in the direction of the bathroom complaining that she was even worse at nagging than his mother.

The truth was she just enjoyed taking care of Paul and having someone to fuss over. God knows he would never have gotten that attention from Joanie and she certainly never had that opportunity with Jonathan, well not during the last number of months of their marriage. Stephanie pushed that thought from her mind as she quickly took another mouthful of wine. The last thing she wanted was to think about her husband. Not when she was finally in a place where she was starting to get on with her life again. In fact, during the last couple of weeks she'd even started to feel more comfortable in her own skin. Being back at work had brought her a sense of freedom that she'd struggled to find before. She wasn't constantly checking over her shoulder expecting to see his face in a crowd or answer the phone to hear his voice at the end of the line. Day by day, the fear that had gripped her for so long was slowly starting to slip away but that didn't mean she wasn't still on her guard. Jonathan was out there somewhere and until she found the courage to do something about that, there was still that element of risk, the danger he might find her. She would never be completely safe even with Paul and her family protecting her around the clock.

As she lifted her glass to her lips once more, Stephanie realised it was empty. Frowning slightly, she leaned over to the side and her fingers wrapped around the slim clear bottle as she poured the wine into the lead crystal only to see it dribble down the side of the glass. She stared in disbelief as she realised she'd consumed the entire bottle and throwing her legs over the sofa, she got to her feet. The small trash can in the corner rattled as she tossed it inside. The bottle had obviously been a smaller size than usual. She certainly didn't feel drunk although she had to admit she was a little tired. But then again she always was after a show despite the copious amounts of caffeine she had consumed.

It was while she was opening the second and final bottle that Stephanie heard the bathroom door open. She turned her body round as the liquid poured smoothly into the glass to see Paul standing in nothing more than a pair of black boxer shorts as he pulled a brush through his freshly washed hair. Apparently a couple of months sharing a house together and he felt comfortable parading around practically naked in front of her. Not that she was complaining. It wouldn't be the first time she had caught herself admiring him lately although that right there should raise a couple of questions of their own if she was thinking straight but she obviously wasn't. Swallowing thickly, Stephanie placed the bottle down and taking another mouthful of wine watched Paul pull on a pair of faded denim jeans. "I was beginning to think you'd drowned in there."

"Almost." he smiled as his long fingers pulled up his zipper. He left the top button open as his bare feet sunk into the plush carpet. "You had enough water in there to sink a small ship. Oh and thank you for the bubbles." he chuckled.

"Why are you laughing? What's wrong with bubbles or don't truly manly men soak in them?"

Paul's nose wrinkled as he screwed up his face in disapproval. "Not in stuff that leaves you smelling like some strange exotic fruit."

Stephanie giggled as she lifted her glass in front of her. "I took the liberty of ordering us some wine by the way."

He raised his eyebrow as he followed her to the sofa. "Us? You, you mean. You know I don't drink the stuff."

Stephanie rolled her eyes placing the wine bottle on the table and she sat down on the blue padded cushions feeling them shift underneath her as Paul took the space next to her. "I'm sorry, I forgot. Your body is a temple."

"That's right." he grinned as he raked his fingers through his damp strands. "Nice to see you pay attention every now and again."

"But one little drink is not going to kill you, you know."

"Maybe not but I'm not going to risk it."

Stephanie's brow furrowed in confusion. "Why?"

"Why? Because you're in my care and I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Paul, nothing is going to happen to me."

His brown eyes went wide with emphasis. "Exactly! That's my whole point."

Stephanie smiled as she took another mouthful of wine smacking her lips together as she rested the glass on her lap. "Are you always so protective?"

"Only with the people I care about." he shrugged as he lightly scratched his cheek before placing his left arm over the back of the sofa.

"And what about Joanie? Were you protective over her?"

"Now how in the hell did she end up as part of this conversation?" scowled Paul annoyed at the mere mention of his ex-girlfriend's name. Since they'd broken up, she was intent on making things difficult for him. Her ridiculous rumours of an affair with Stephanie weren't exactly making his life easy at work nor were the letters from her lawyer demanding a settlement for the house. Apparently she was under the delusion that she had some sort of claim to half of it. Well the bitch could swing for her money. The house was in his name and his name alone.

"I guess I'm just curious, that's all." explained Stephanie.

Paul shook his head smiling at her slightly glazed expression. "See, that's why you make me nervous when you drink. You get too damn curious for your own good."

Stephanie stuck her tongue out at him before promptly pouring herself another glass of wine. She sniffed and bit down on her lip as she sat back in the seat. Her blue eyes were thoughtful as they settled on Paul's face and she pressed her lips together in a small smile. "But you must have wanted to take care of her when you were together." she continued.

"Well yeah but Joanie was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. In fact, she used to like to make that fact pretty clear."

Stephanie's expression fell as she felt a pang of guilt in her chest. Her manicured finger lightly traced the rim of her glass as her blue eyes stared into it. "Unlike me, you mean."

She was forced to look up as she felt Paul's finger tuck under her chin and lift it up to meet his serious brown eyes.

"No. That's not what I meant." he stressed.

"But you must be pretty sick and tired of me relying on you for so much." she sighed. "I mean not only are you looking after me on the road but I'm taking over your house and basically your life."

The left hand corner of Paul's mouth upturned in a lop-sided smile as he playfully tapped her nose. "See now you're being dramatic. How much wine have you actually had tonight?"

"Paul, I'm being serious here." Stephanie bent over placing her glass on the table and turned in the seat to directly face him and take his hand in hers clasping it gently as she scanned his face suddenly desperate to know what he was thinking. She hated to think she was this huge weight around his neck and he was just too polite to tell her which is why she wanted to give him the chance to be honest with her right now. God knows it was the least he deserved. "I know I'm a huge burden on you." she began gently.

She smiled as Paul immediately shook his head, his wet strands moving across his massive shoulders. It was the answer she had been expecting. Paul was far too nice to say otherwise.

"It's okay. You can admit it. I won't be offended."

"Steph, trust me. You're not a burden."

Her head tilted to the side as her thumb absently traced small circles on the back of his hand. "You're just saying that."

"No I'm not." he said firmly.

"I just worry that I'm taking advantage of your generous nature. You've got a good heart, Paul and I don't know if I'll ever be able to properly thank you for what you've done for me."

"You don't have to thank me, Steph. I'm just glad that you're safe."

Her grateful blue eyes smiled back at him as she stared at him silently for a moment. "You know we're alike you and I." she said eventually.

"And how do you work that one out?"

Stephanie rested back against the sofa as she let go of Paul's hand and stifled a yawn. Her heavy eyes blinked slowly as she shifted her head towards him resting it on his large bicep. His fingers began to brush through the ends of her hair soothing her. She felt her eyes slowly close with the movement.

"Well we've both been hurt by the people we love. I think that's why you understand me so well."

"Yeah well another glass of wine and I'll not be able to understand you at all."

Her eyes popped open as she looked in his direction. "Why do you always have to make a joke out of everything? I'm trying to tell you something here."

"I'm sorry." he smiled apologetically.

Stephanie nodded acceptingly nestling further into him and breathing him in. "I just don't think I could have got this far without you. You're my angel. You know that, don't you?" Her blue eyes lifted deliberately searching for his as she took hold of his hand once more loosely gripping his thick fingers. "You saved me, Paul."

His brown eyes wore a soft expression as he placed a soft kiss against her temple. "No I didn't. You saved yourself. You were the one that had the guts and the courage to get out of there."

"But I couldn't have done it without you."

"You would have eventually."

"But maybe by that time it would have been far too late."

"Don't talk like that, Steph." he pleaded as his fingers fell from her hair.

"Why not? It's true. Every beating was getting worse. It was only a matter of time."

Paul looked away as a vision of Stephanie lying on the floor battered and bleeding flashed through his mind. She'd been to hell and back and every time he thought about it, it tore a hole inside him. Thank God she'd been strong and found a way to survive otherwise who knows what could have happened. He just wished he could take her pain away. That he could wave a magic wand and suddenly make everything better for her. Licking his lips, Paul wrapped his arm around her and pulled Stephanie towards him suddenly needing to have her close. Her head fell against the crook of his arm and her eyes closed. "You don't have to think about that any more. It's over." he said.

"Is it?"

"Yes because I won't ever let anything happen to you. I'll take care of you, Steph."

His hand moved slowly up and down her arm and he wasn't sure how long he sat holding her like that but when he eventually looked down he realised Stephanie was asleep. Smiling he shuffled towards the edge of the sofa and somehow managed to lift her into his arms without disturbing her. However, she began to stir as he pulled back the covers and placed her down on the crisp, cool sheets of the bed.

"Hmmm, bed time already?" she asked as her eyes blinked open.

"For lightweights like you, yeah." chuckled Paul as he sat down next to her and tucked the covers around her body.

"But we were talking….." she mumbled.

"We can talk in the morning."

"Okay." Stephanie lifted her hand to push a loose strand of hair from her face. Her arm drooped as her eyes fluttered shut once more. Paul smiled tenderly as he listened to her light even breathing and paused for a beat before he tucked the silky locks behind her ear allowing his finger to lightly trail over her jaw line.

"I meant what I said earlier, you know. I'll always take care of you as long as you need me to because I'm not going anywhere. How could I?" he whispered. The mattress shifted underneath him as he bent over to place a tender kiss on her forehead. "Sweet dreams, Stephanie."

Paul's fingertips lingered and touched her soft, warm skin for a second longer before he stood up from the bed and walked across to the small recliner chair. He sighed softly and slumped tiredly into the blue padded cushions. As he stretched his legs out in front of him, his eyes settled on her face and the feelings etched firmly into his heart spilled out into his deep brown orbs as he sat there in the silence just content to watch her sleep.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

"Paul!"

His expression tensed as his name echoed around the walls of the empty, narrow corridor. However his footsteps didn't falter once as he quickly chose to ignore her and continued to walk to the dressing room lightly chomping on his gum and gripping hold of the coffee he had just grabbed from the machine down the hall. He had a thousand and one things on his mind and he really wasn't in the mood for dealing with her crap today or any other day for that matter. It was bad enough that he had to hear the fucked up rumours she was spreading around the back. It seemed that everyone was more than happy to believe that he was sleeping with Stephanie and in the process guaranteeing he kept the belt and it was all thanks to Joanie's big imagination and even bigger mouth. It was sad to admit it but any love he felt for her had long disappeared. In fact, recently he had even begun to question whether he had ever been in love with her at all. Like really and truly in love with her. He was starting to doubt it especially now when he was experiencing all these different and powerful emotions rushing around inside of him. Emotions he always felt in those rare moments he allowed himself to look at Stephanie and take her in like he had last night when he had sat there in that armchair content just to watch her sleep.

"Paul, I'm talking to you!"

He rolled his brown eyes and sighed heavily as he heard Joanie's footsteps quicken behind him. Her heels thumped against the worn linoleum and he knew he was going to have no choice but to acknowledge her but he would be damned if he stood here and listened to anything she had to say. He just didn't want to hear it. He was through dealing with her bitchy attitude and her pathetic whining. Slowly turning on his heel, Paul watched her approach him. Physically, she was still familiar to him but in all other aspects she had become a stranger. The happy and contented woman he had met on the road five years back had been replaced by quite frankly, a miserable and spiteful bitch. Joanie's curled black strands were pulled back under her baseball cap and she was smiling at him which immediately put him on his guard. Recently every single communication between them had been nothing but hostile. His brow crinkled with his suspicion as he wondered what had suddenly changed.

"What do you want?" he snapped impatiently.

"I just wondered if we could meet up after the show tonight."

His brown eyes widened as he stared at her incredulously and he raked his fingers through his blonde hair scuffing his feet as they shifted across the floor. "What the hell for?"

"We need to talk Paul."

"Why? I've got nothing to say to you."

"Well I've got things I need to say to you. Important things." said Joanie, her hand tentatively reaching out towards his arm.

Paul deliberately stepped back lightly shaking his head as he shifted the coffee cup to his opposite hand. "I'm not interested in listening to you Joan. Not any more."

Her stricken face instantly fell but her reaction was only momentary and in a matter of seconds, her top lip curled into a spiteful snarl. A snarl he had sadly seen all too often lately.

"Yeah, and we all know why don't we? It's because of her isn't it? That stuck up fuckin' princess."

Paul let out a weary sigh. "Look, this has got nothing to do with Steph."

"Really? Then how come we broke up, huh? How come everything was fine between us until she came along and spread her legs for you?"

His nostrils flared with his anger as he took a step forward pointing his long finger at her face. "I'd watch your fuckin' mouth if I were you!"

Joanie snorted with indignation as she tossed back her head. "Why? I'm only telling you the truth. Stephanie is just using you, Paul. She's not interested in you. She's only interested in screwing you."

Paul paused for a beat as he held in his temper. His big hand gripped the coffee cup a little tighter. As Joanie smirked at him, he knew she was looking for a reaction from him. Well fuck her. He wasn't going to give it to her. Stephanie was right. She wasn't worth it and he would be damned if he gave her the satisfaction of rising to her bait. He was so sick and tired of it all. He was sick and tired of her.

"You know what? I'm not even listening to this!" he told her in his deep tone as he turned on his heel and began walking in the opposite direction.

"That's right, Paul. Walk away. Walk away like you always do but one day you're going to have to face up to the truth. You're going to wake up and have to face the fact that Stephanie doesn't give a damn about you. She'll never love you. Not like I do."

Paul stopped and turned to stand in the middle of the corridor. Joanie's eyes were watching him and they wore a sad, almost melancholy expression. If he didn't know any better, he'd think she really meant those words but the truth was the woman in front of him was incapable of love. Well, the type of love he needed anyway and the type of love he wanted to share with someone else and that someone else just wasn't her. His broad shoulders rose and fell with his soft, resigned sigh. "But see, the difference is I don't love you Joan. Not now. Not any more. It's over and you're going to have to just accept that."

Paul didn't even stick around for her reply as he slowly walked away from her once more. His head bowed, he became lost in his thoughts and didn't even see Stephanie coming in his direction.

"Hey you."

His brown eyes went wide at the sound of her voice as he lifted his head to see her standing there, smiling at him. Her pretty face was framed by messy strands that had somehow escaped from her ponytail and her pen was tucked behind her ear. That was when he realised she was alone and he immediately searched the corridor wondering where the hell Shane was. He was supposed to be keeping an eye on his sister and here she was walking around exposed for the entire world to see. Paul's forehead crinkled with his concern.

"Steph! What are you doing out here alone?" he scolded.

Stephanie grinned as she placed her hand on his arm, her big blue eyes batting at him innocently. "Now is that any way to greet your friend? A friend that, by the way, is desperately hoping that the little Styrofoam cup in your hand right there is some form of caffeine." She paused as she raised her brow hopefully. "Caffeine that is preferably black and strong just the way I like it?"

Paul rolled his eyes as he held the hot drink out to her. "Coffee, one sugar." he said, lightly chuckling as she grabbed the cup from him gratefully.

"Thank you, Paul. You're an angel."

"So they keep telling me." he smiled as they began to slowly wander towards the end of the deserted hall and back in the direction of the dressing room. Stephanie lifted the hot cup to her lips, gently blowing on the coffee before taking a mouthful and sighing appreciatively.

"Hmm, that's good. I've been desperate for coffee all morning and the stupid machine in the room is still broken. I just sent Shane off to go look for another one."

"Because God help us all if the princess doesn't get her coffee."

"Shut up!" Stephanie retorted, her lips twitching with her smile.

Paul grinned back feeling more at ease now his mind had been put at rest and he knew Stephanie hadn't been left alone for very long. He could only imagine what Shane had to endure while he had been gone. The poor guy wouldn't have had a lot of option but to hunt for that coffee machine. His baby sister was very demanding when it came to her caffeine addiction. Paul lifted his hand to push back his hair. That was when he noticed Stephanie's finger pressing circles into her right temple.

"So, it take it that hangover has kicked in."

"God, like you wouldn't believe." she sighed.

Paul pressed his lips together and playfully shook his head. "See that's what happens when you overindulge in the hotel's finest wine selection."

Stephanie's blue eyes rolled dramatically. "Don't remind me. How much did I have to drink anyway?" she asked wrinkling her nose.

"Well there wasn't much left in that second bottle when I checked it this morning."

"Ugh. Please. Don't ever let me drink that much again."

"Like you ever listen to what I tell you anyway."

"Hey I'm a woman. You do know it's our prerogative not to listen."

Paul frowned as he instantly thought about Joanie. God knows she never listened to him either. Most times he had completely wasted his breath on her.

As they approached the dressing room, his big hand pushed open the green painted door and he stepped aside to let Stephanie through. She smiled her thanks and took another mouthful of her coffee as she pushed a loose strand behind her ear forgetting all about the pen nestled there. It dropped and bounced at her feet. Stephanie sighed and placed her coffee down on the small table and against her better judgement bent over to pick it up. She could feel her temples throbbing in protest at the sudden rush of blood. That was when she saw Paul's boot connect with his gym bag in the centre of the floor. He kicked it hard and it skidded towards the back wall thudding lightly as it hit the white brick and came to a stop.

As she straightened up and pulled on the bottom of her red sweater, Stephanie glanced at him curiously tossing the pen down in her pile of papers. Paul's brow was furrowed as he stood there, his hands stuffed deep in the pockets of his jeans. His lips were pressed together tightly and she had been around him long enough to know what that meant. Wrapping her hand around the coffee cup and picking it up from the table, she balanced it on her knee as she sat down on the arm of the small sofa. "Am I detecting a certain sour mood in the room?"

"Nope." he replied curtly briefly looking at the floor.

"Hmm, well I wasn't born yesterday."

Paul glanced up, his brown eyes observing her.

Stephanie smiled at him. "I may be hung over but I still have some functioning brain cells in here, you know." she told him as she tapped her fingers against her temple. "Now I can tell something is up with you so spill it."

Paul sighed as he took his hands out of his pockets and sat down heavily on the sofa, the cushions flattening under his weight as he raked his fingers through his soft blonde hair. "Trust me. You don't want to even go there."

Stephanie rolled her lips together as his large arm stretched across the back, the tips of his thick fingers resting near her arm. "It's Joanie isn't it? She's said something to you, hasn't she?"

Paul turned and looked at her.

"I can tell you know. You've just got that look on your face."

"What look?" he quipped, his brow crinkling with his frown.

"The look that says I just went ten rounds with a psychotic bitch." Stephanie quickly bit down on her lip as she realised what she had just said to him. Just because she hated the ground the ugly wench walked on, it didn't give her the right to call her names. Her lips curved up at him apologetically. "Sorry. That was probably uncalled for."

Paul glanced down at his lap causing his blonde strands to fall over his face. "Nope, psychotic bitch is actually pretty accurate." he said as he pushed it back behind his left ear.

"So what accusations did she throw your way today then?"

"Oh just the usual, you know how it goes."

Stephanie rolled her eyes as she placed down her drink and slid into the vacant space beside him. "So she's still adamant we're sleeping together, huh?"

"Pretty much." He sighed heavily as he turned in the seat to face her. When he looked up, his brown eyes were apologetic. "I'm sorry Steph." he hushed.

She reached out and placed her hand on his firm thigh. "What for? It's not your fault she's running her mouth off."

"Yeah but it puts you in an awkward position backstage and what with your father and everything…."

Stephanie quickly shook her head and squeezed his leg, silencing him. "Listen to me. Anyone who really matters around here knows the truth and Dad knows the truth too. We're friends, Paul and if people can't accept that then quite honestly, they can go to hell. I really don't care any more. God knows I've got enough problems to deal with without them and more importantly than that, well…." She smiled sadly as her blue eyes settled on his. "I need you, Paul. I don't know what I would do without you."

Paul swallowed thickly, her words making his heart feel heavy because Stephanie needed him but not in the way he wanted her to need him, the way he needed her. God, that sounded so selfish but it was the truth. Every day he could feel himself falling deeper for her. It was a miracle he was able to keep it all inside but somehow he did. He simply had no other choice. "I thought we agreed you weren't going to talk like that any more." he said firmly.

"Well yeah but that doesn't mean it's not the truth and that I don't think about it or worry….."

"Worry about what?" he asked as he covered her slender hand with his.

Stephanie sighed lifting her shoulder in a shrug. "I don't know. I guess I'm just afraid sometimes."

"Afraid of what?"

Her big blue eyes stared back at him. "Afraid that I'll never get my life back together."

Paul quickly shook his head and squeezed her fingers reassuringly. "Of course you will, Steph. One day you're going to wake up and you're going to really surprise yourself."

She smiled at his words. "You think so?"

"I know so. You just need to give yourself some time, that's all."

She watched him for a moment before her lips curved up gently. "You know something Levesque? I'm really glad I've got you."

He licked his lips as her words worked their way into him momentarily stunning him but Stephanie was none the wiser as he smirked disguising how badly she had gotten to him. It was a skill he was developing quite well.

"Well you can be a pain in the ass at times but I'm glad I've got you too."

"You're so charming."

"Hey, you're welcome." he chuckled, winking at her. His hand felt cold as hers slipped away and Stephanie sat forward to reach across to the small table in front of them and pick up a handful of papers.

"So I meant to ask you earlier." she said as she balanced on the edge of the cushion and absently began to scan through the pages. "Does that happen to you a lot?"

Paul's brow crinkled with mild curiosity as his big hand moved from the back of the sofa to scratch at his cheek. "Does what happen?"

Stephanie lifted her head resting the papers on her knee. "Those abusive chants we heard in the street this morning. They weren't exactly flattering."

"They never are." he grinned rising to his feet. He walked over to where his gym bag lay and bent over to pick it up, his thick fingers gripping the handles. "Listen, I'm going to go and change. When Shano gets back I'm going to head to the gym."

Stephanie nodded as she watched him disappear into the adjoining bathroom when she inhaled sharply and placed down the papers suddenly remembering what she had meant to ask him. "Paul!"

"What's up?" he asked turning and leaning against the door frame.

Stephanie smiled as she stood up, her hands smoothing down the wrinkles on her black skirt. "You know your lawyer, the one who is handling the stuff with Joanie. Is he any good?"

Paul pressed his lips together thoughtfully and nodded. "He seems to be."

She nodded and paused for a beat, her fingers twisting together in front of her. "Then I think I need you to call him for me. I want you to ask him if he'll talk to me."

His surprised brown eyes narrowed in her direction. "Talk to you? Why?"

"I want this to be over, Paul. I'm sick and tired of living in this limbo and I want him out of my life. I've decided I'm divorcing Jonathan."

Paul just stood looking at her feeling a little startled by her revelation. Stephanie had never mentioned this before. In fact she hadn't even broached the subject before now. This had come totally out of the blue and he had to admit to feeling a little shocked. Dropping his gym bag to the ground, he took a step in her direction. "You're sure about this?"

Stephanie nodded.

"And you're sure it's the right thing to do?" he asked her cautiously.

She threw her hands in the air. "Why not? It's not like I'm going to suddenly change my mind and realise it's all been some huge mistake."

"I know. I just……."

Her blue eyes flashed at him. "What's the matter Paul? Don't you think I can't handle it?"

"Hey, that's not what I said."

"Yes but you obviously think it's too much too soon."

He shook his head, his nose wrinkling with his scowl. "I never said that either."

"Then what are you saying?"

"I don't know." Paul sighed as he stood in front of Stephanie placing his hands on her shoulders. His brown eyes revealed his concern for her as they scanned her pretty face. "I guess I'm just worried about you that's all. I don't want you rushing into anything."

"But how can you rush into something that's been in the back of your mind for the longest time?" she said.

"So this is something you've been thinking about then?"

Stephanie nodded her head sadly. "I know I should have left Jonathan months ago Paul. The first time he put those hands of his around my throat I should have been out that door but for some reason I didn't. Maybe I believed him when he promised me it would never happen again. Maybe I thought he was still the man I married. So I stayed even when it was obvious that he had no intention of keeping that promise to me. In the end I was just so scared of what would happen if I did walk out that door that I never did not to mention the fact I felt so ashamed about myself. I guess the truth was I just didn't have the guts to make that final decision and leave him. I was so stupid." She pressed her lips together angrily. Paul's hands rubbed her arms affectionately.

"Hey, there's no point in beating yourself up about it. The important thing is you did leave and you're here now and you're finally safe."

"Yeah but only because of you." Stephanie paused as her face softened and her fingers lifted to brush through his soft hair. "You helped me, Paul. You were my strength and I'll never be able to thank you enough for that." she smiled as she looked deep into his brown eyes.

They wore a soft and tender expression and there was something else in there too. Something that caused her heart to skip a beat and something that confused and surprised her all at once. But it was nothing compared to the surprise she felt when their noses lightly bumped together and Paul's lips softly brushed over hers. In fact, the contact was so brief she thought she had imagined it until she felt her pulse jump and her breath catch in her throat. When Paul pulled back it was only enough so that she could still feel his hot breath dancing on her mouth and the tip of his nose nuzzling against hers. Stephanie was frozen to the spot, her mind unable to process what was happening. Her fingers remained still, loosely tangled up in his long soft strands as the blood beat loudly in her ears. Paul had kissed her and she could taste him. His lips were warm, wet and sweet. That was when she was surprised all over again and realised she wanted to taste Paul once more. She wanted him to kiss her again. Her whole body was tingling with anticipation at the thought of his lips touching hers. Hardly daring to draw breath and break the spell that had been cast between them, Stephanie shyly leaned into to Paul's mouth encouraging him to continue the kiss. She let out a tiny whimper as he did, gently pressing his lips over hers and stealing her breath away…


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

God help him. He was in love with her.

And if he had ever had a shadow of a doubt before, he sure as hell didn't now. Her lips were so soft and tasted so perfect. His head was spinning with her kiss. Something strange was twisting in his gut and his heart was pounding so hard he swore it was going to burst right out of his chest. What he felt was unmistakable, like kissing Stephanie had opened up the floodgates and every single emotion he had been suppressing up until now had bursting through the surface.

Maybe it was the unexpected surprise of the kiss because no one was more surprised than he was that this was happening right now. He'd tried so hard to keep his feelings under control and keep his distance. God knows he'd never meant to feel this way. But then Stephanie had told him he'd saved her and not only that she had looked straight at him with those big beautiful blue eyes of hers. Eyes that sucked him right in to the point where he had lost himself in her completely and any rationale he might have had left had flown right out of the window when his lips had tentatively sought out hers.

And as Paul sighed softly into her mouth, he could admit the truth to himself. He had wanted to kiss her. In fact the urge to kiss Stephanie had grown so strong over the last few weeks that it had become almost impossible to see past his overwhelming feelings for her. It had even become hard to breathe around her. He wanted her so much and she made him feel things he had never experienced in his life before. Quite simply she got to him and captured him in a way no-one else ever had. Not even Joanie. What he felt for Stephanie surpassed anything he had thought possible and she had filled those empty places inside him; places he had never known existed before now. Places that had been lying completely dormant until he had let her into his heart. And now suddenly he was alive and feeling all these things he had seemingly been waiting his whole life to feel.

Tilting his head slightly, Paul's mouth captured hers once more. Stephanie's soft whimper encouraged him as his fingers reached to loosely tangle in the ends of her hair. The long brown strands felt like silk against his tips and as he breathed in the faint scent of her perfume, logic was raging a war inside his head. Because as much as he wanted this and boy did he want this, deep down Paul knew kissing Stephanie was wrong. His love for her and his urgent need to be close like this was making him selfish because he knew this was the last thing she needed or wanted right now. She was still in so much emotional pain from everything she had been through. She didn't need the added complication of his feelings thrown into the mix but at the same time he was scared to stop this. He was scared to break the kiss because then he would be forced to face up to his actions. He would have to look her in the eye and he would have to see her fear and her confusion and know he was the one to put it there. And all because he just couldn't control himself around her.

Fuck! He was so stupid not to mention totally hopeless. Why the hell had he let this happen? He knew how fragile Stephanie was and that she trusted him and relied on him. Now he had gone and let her down in the worst way possible.

"Steph, we got a problem with the coffee……."

Paul suddenly jumped back breaking the kiss, startled by the sound of Shane's voice. He hadn't even heard the guy come into the room. The blood was pounding in his ears as his eyes fluttered open and he struggled to catch his breath as he licked his wet lips. He couldn't even look at Stephanie as the enormity of his actions struck him and he ducked his head awkwardly as his feet shifted underneath him.

"Sorry. I'll come back…."

"No." he called out to Shane abruptly, quickly shaking his head and clearing his throat. Paul's brown eyes darted uneasily around the room as his fingers raked through his long blonde strands.

"I…uh...I need to get to the gym. Now you're here, can you stay with Steph?" he asked quickly edging towards the door and lifting his bag on the way. He couldn't even bring himself to offer her a goodbye as he hastily left the room barely managing a smile in Shane's direction as he disappeared into the corridor.

The door clicked softly behind him as Shane glanced across at his baby sister. Stephanie was standing in silence still rooted to the spot as her teeth bit down on the corner of her lip. The look of stunned shock on her face mirrored the exact same expression Paul had worn before he had fled. It didn't take a genius to figure out that quite clearly the kiss he had interrupted had been completely unexpected on both sides and they were both still reeling from their actions, so much so Paul had pulled a disappearing act. The guy was obviously feeling more than awkward and no doubt that awkwardness was only increased by having the older brother witness the whole thing. Maybe he was even half expecting him to have a pop at him for daring to kiss his sister.

But little did Paul know he was probably the only one in this room not surprised by what had just happened. In fact it was safe to say he had been expecting it. Anyone with eyes in their head could see how close Paul and Stephanie had become lately. There was this undeniable connection between them, a bond only strengthened by the unspeakable tragedy Stephanie had been through. Then there was the telltale way Paul would look at her. Shane had been noticing it more and more lately. There was a soft tenderness in his eyes that told a thousand stories and it had only been a matter of time before he let his guard down and revealed the secret he was hiding. Paul was in love with his sister. The only problem was Shane just wasn't so sure Stephanie was ready for that love right now. She'd been through so much already and he worried about her despite the bravery she had shown. He could only guess how badly the violence from Jonathan haunted her and then there were the emotional scars she had been left to deal with too. It would take the passing of time to heal those scars.

"So, I'm sorry." he said eventually breaking the silence and getting her attention. Her blue eyes stared back at him distractedly as Stephanie clearly struggled to process what had just happened.

"I didn't mean to just barge in like that and interrupt."

Her brown strands shifted across her shoulders as Stephanie slowly shook her head. Her brow furrowed with her dismay as her arms wrapped around herself almost protectively.

"I don't know what the hell just happened here Shane." she said, slowly lifting from her haze. "I mean what was he thinking? Why would he kiss me like that? It…. it just came completely out of nowhere."

"Are you sure about that?"

Stephanie's eyes narrowed curiously in her brother's direction. "Of course I'm sure. What are you trying to get at here?"

Shane lifted his shoulder in a shrug as he stood in front of her and smiled softly. It was obvious Stephanie was completely oblivious to the fact that Paul had feelings for her but she was quickly becoming the minority. Even his father had commented on the "Paul and Steph" thing as he liked to call it. Sure, Vince was apprehensive and worried about his daughter just like he was. Stephanie had been to hell and back and had suffered horribly. The last thing they wanted was seeing her in any sort of emotional pain again. But at the same time no one could deny Paul had her best interests at heart. He looked after her and had gone above and beyond protecting her from Jonathan the way he had and even convincing her to leave him. For that he and his family would be eternally grateful to him. Stephanie was now safe and getting on with her life. She was moving on and if there was a chance she could be happy again, he wanted her to take it or at the very least open herself up to that option. He hated to think of her dwelling in the past, reliving her nightmare. And sure, it wasn't going to be easy. There would be no magical solution but she had found the strength and courage to leave Jonathan. Maybe she could pull on that bravery one more time and take that risk of happiness with Paul. But of course it was a risk she had to want to take.

"Maybe I just think you need to ask yourself this question." said Shane as he sat down on the small leather sofa and patted the space beside him. Stephanie perched on the end of the cushion as she turned to face her brother, watching him curiously. Her hand lifted to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear.

"If it came out of nowhere then why am I not surprised it happened?" he stated.

"What do you mean you're not surprised?"

"I meant exactly what I said. I'm not surprised."

Stephanie rolled her lips together as she pondered this fact over. "So you knew Paul was going to kiss me?" she surmised.

"Let's just say I've been expecting it. I mean, you guys have spent a lot of time together the last few months. You're even living together."

"Yeah but not like that, not in that way." she stressed, putting him straight. "Things are strictly platonic between us. Or at least they were."

Stephanie sighed heavily as she flopped back against the cushions, her mind replaying the kiss. She had to admit she had been a little freaked out by it. In fact, she was freaked out a lot. After all, it was Paul. He had quickly become her best friend and her confidante. They had grown close and actually in a lot of ways he was like Shane, like this protective older brother figure. He took care of her and he looked out for her. He was one of the few people in her life who would never let her down and she had learned to trust him implicitly. She knew she could always rely on him to be there for her, to talk or to simply listen. But not to kiss her, no. That wasn't even in the equation. Why the hell had he gone and done that? How had it even happened?

Sighing softly, Stephanie rubbed her face wearily and glanced at the scattering of papers on the table. God, the last thing she could concentrate on now was the stupid show. Damn Paul for kissing her and damn him for running off like he did. Although what she would have said to him if he had stayed was anyone's guess. She didn't have a clue what she was thinking right now. She was so mixed up and angry with Paul too. And she had every right to be angry in her opinion. She had only wanted to say thank you to him for being there for her. So he had to go and misinterpret her thanks as an excuse to kiss her.

But as Stephanie bit down on her lip, something niggled in her mind and she knew she was probably being a little unfair. After all, she hadn't exactly discouraged the kiss. In fact, she could clearly remember initiating a second one and she had liked it. She had liked it a lot. She had even liked the way Paul had tasted and could even remember how her heart had felt, like it had been about to jump right out of her chest. Sure, the kiss may have caught her by surprise but at the same time, she could admit she had wanted it. But if that was the case, why was she so freaked out about it now? Then there was the way Paul had looked at her with that soft expression in his eyes, an expression that made her feel even more uneasy.

"God Shane, I'm so confused." she cried as she pushed back her hair from her forehead in frustration. She looked at her brother who was sitting beside her acting pretty non-chalant about the whole thing in her opinion. After all, he'd just walked in and found her kissing another man. Surely he should be upset. He was usually so anal about these things. Her blue eyes narrowed suspiciously at him. "And you're being so calm about this. Why?"

"What do you expect me to do, Steph? Go after Paul and beat him up? He's huge for Christ sakes!" he chuckled.

"No but you could give me some big brother advice and tell me what to do here."

"Sorry." he smiled. "I only wish I could."

Stephanie snorted as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Fat lot of good you are."

Shane rolled his eyes as he shifted on the sofa and nudged her affectionately.

"Look, you said you were confused, right?"

She sighed softly, nodding her head as her arms unfolded and her hands rested on her lap.

"Well I reckon your confusion is only telling you what you're too scared to admit to yourself."

"And what's that oh wise one?"

"You care about Paul don't you?"

This time Stephanie rolled her eyes amazed that her brother could manage to state the obvious. "Well of course I do. He's my best friend, Shane."

"Yeah but I don't mean as a friend."

His reply somehow stunned in her into silence as she sat there watching him tentatively.

"I mean, is there any chance you might just see him as more than that?"

"I…..I don't know. I mean I've never thought about it." Stephanie replied, her blue eyes wide and her mind reeling unable to think. A strange sensation twisted in her gut as a thousand emotions rushed at her all at once and she felt somewhat overwhelmed by it all. It was almost like she was terrified to even entertain that particular notion.

As if Shane could sense her distress, he patted her leg reassuringly.

"Well you don't have to think about it if you don't want to. All I'm saying is just don't shut yourself off to the possibility, okay?" said Shane ruffling her hair before he reached across to the table and picked up a loose sheet of paper to glance over.

Stephanie watched him in silent contemplation as her lips rolled together thoughtfully. Possibility. For so long that word had never been an option for her. Then she had left Jonathan. Now suddenly this whole new world was opening up for her; a world where possibility existed and she no longer felt unhappy and empty and scared for her own life. Instead her only fear was for her heart and opening it up to someone again. She just didn't know if she could ever take that risk. After all she had let herself love Jonathan once and he had repaid her by treating her like a human punching bag. How could she ever find the courage to trust someone completely and fall in love again? The very thought terrified her.

But as Stephanie stared wistfully towards the door and thought of Paul, part of her wondered if it wasn't happening already. It wasn't the first time she'd found her emotions conflicted lately. Could Shane be right? Was she so confused and scared by the kiss because she was falling for Paul? One thing was for sure. She couldn't figure this out alone. She had to find him and talk to him. Maybe then there was a chance she could try and make some sense of it all. Maybe they could even make some sense of it together.


	32. Chapter 32

Thanks to everyone who never gave up on this fic. This chapter has been two years in the making. Scary but true. I just hope it's been worth the wait :)

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Chapter 32

Paul was avoiding her.

That was the only conclusion Stephanie could draw as she glanced up and down the corridor briefly scanning the scattered sea of heads looking for him. There was no sign of his familiar blonde hair anywhere despite there only being a couple of hours until the show. Paul had disappeared from sight and with each moment that passed and her search for him proved still unsuccessful, Stephanie could feel her frustrations start to build. She needed to talk to Paul. Ever since her conversation with Shane things had been whizzing round and round in her head and it had left her reeling. Of course it was entirely all Paul's fault. After all he was the one that had kissed her turning everything on its head. The very least he could have done was fucking stick around and explain himself instead of leaving her somewhat overwhelmed and so terribly confused about everything.

"Stephanie. There you are. I've been looking for you everywhere."

She turned her head and saw Pat Patterson watching her with a feigned look of surprise on his face. She couldn't be bothered telling him to drop the act. He knew where she was. The truth was he had been following her every move for the last hour or so. He was obviously part of Operation Stephanie which begged the question where was Paul right now? Or Shane? Or even her father for that matter. It was definitely unusual not to have at least one of them personally chaperone her at the arena. Even if one or two of them were tied up in the run up to a show, the other would be there looking after her. That obviously wasn't the case today though. Their combined absence only heightened her suspicions that something was going on. Something she was apparently not included in. But it was something she was definitely going to find out.

"Where are they?" she asked, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. Her abrupt tone startled Pat and his eyes went wide.

"Where's who?" he stammered.

"Please. Don't play dumb with me." Stephanie scoffed as she stepped into the wall to let a member of the crew pass. Her arms folded across her chest as her blue eyes glared back at him menacingly. "My father. Shane. Paul? They're up to something and in the meantime they've asked you to babysit me haven't they?"

"Hey don't look at me." Pat protested as he lifted his hands in the air. "I haven't got a clue what you're talking about."

"Really?"

Stephanie watched him suspiciously as she pondered her next move. Because it was obvious Pat was hiding something. He was red and flustered and it wouldn't take much to break him. She always could wind him round her little finger. She had ever since she was a little girl and had been the apple of his eye. And as a business woman it was even easier. For some reason she could intimidate him at will.

Taking advantage of that knowledge, Stephanie stood up straight and tossing her hair from her shoulder, she tried her best to look threatening as she narrowed her eyes directly at him and pressed her lips together in a frown. "You do know technically I'm your boss right and I could fire your ass right now for lying to me. Tell me Pat or I'll find someone who will."

A moment or so passed before Pat gave a resigned sigh and he reluctantly gestured down the hall. "Third door on the right."

Stephanie's face suddenly lit up with her delighted smile and her body relaxed as she wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you. I'm glad I could suddenly jog your memory."

She kissed his cheek and gave Pat an affectionate squeeze before spinning on her heel and leaving. Stephanie lifted her hand in a wave to one of the wrestlers before she knocked on the door she was looking for.

"Come in." her father's voice beckoned from behind the painted wood.

She hesitated for a second as her hands quickly smoothed down her skirt. For some reason her curiosity was suddenly replaced with a nervousness. And it was a nervousness that was increased ten fold when she walked in the door only to be met by that pair of brown eyes. The blood beat in her ears as her gaze held his for a brief moment before Paul quickly looked away and she was ushered inside by her father.

"Stephanie, hello."

"Hey." she smiled absently. Her eyes still lingered on the man that had brought her here in the first place but her attention was quickly diverted from Paul when she saw him close over a document in front of him and try to discreetly pass it to Shane. It immediately piqued her interest and even more so when her brother shoved the papers under a pale green folder that sat on the table top.

"So Stephanie, what brings you here?" asked Vince as his arm slid around his daughter, lightly patting her shoulder. "Any problems I need to know about?"

She slowly shook her head. "I just wondered what the three of you are up to, that's all."

"Nothing." smiled Shane.

"Up to?" asked Vince practically simultaneously but they weren't fooling anybody, least of all her. Her brother was chewing manically on his lip, a trait they both shared which meant she knew all too well he was nervous about something. Her father could barely look her in the eye and Paul just point blank refused to look in her direction, something that made her both suspicious and frustrated at the same time because she needed Paul to look her way. Maybe then she could try and get some answers or at least some clue as to what he was thinking or feeling right now. After all he was the one that had kissed her. The least she deserved was some sort of explanation instead of him deliberately avoiding her all afternoon. Although it looked like his reasons for his absence that weren't as cut and dried as she had initially thought. Paul was hiding something; something that also involved her father and Shane and the silly secret papers she had noticed on the table.

"There's something going on here, isn't there?" she asked turning her head to look at her father. Vince sniffed lifting his chin almost defiantly but he didn't reply to her question. He didn't need to. His silence alone gave her the answer and as Stephanie tried to rack her brain as to the reason for his secrecy, one name kept screaming back at her. The very name that made her blood chill and the name that had united the three men standing in this room in the first place. The same three men who were so intent on protecting her from him.

"Is this to do with Jonathan?" she demanded.

"Honey, I don't what you're talking about." Vince replied offering his daughter a smile as he reached for her. But Stephanie shrugged him off, annoyed. He was trying to fob her off. Did her father really think she was that stupid? That she didn't know what was going on here? The least he could do was actually give his daughter some credit and tell her the truth.

"Don't lie to me Daddy. Please. I'm not stupid. I know there's something going on here. Something that involves those papers Shane thinks he can hide from me."

Stephanie whipped her head round to look at her brother pointedly but he refused to acknowledge her as he glanced at the floor seemingly finding the cracked linoleum somewhat fascinating. Annoyed, she shook her head in frustration.

"You should tell her Vince."

His low voice got her attention. Stephanie's eyes shifted to Paul and they softened with her smile grateful for his support but he wasn't looking at her. He was watching her father and a silent nod passed between them, almost like some sort of understanding. Vince raked his hand through his hair and suddenly looked terribly weary as he let out a low sigh.

"Dad?" Stephanie asked suddenly impatient to know the truth. To know what the hell was going on here because for some reason she felt strangely worried. Jonathan was her mess; her issue. The last thing she wanted was her family involved especially if it meant any one of them putting their own necks on the line to protect her. She couldn't take that risk. She wouldn't. She simply loved them too much to lose any one of them. "Please talk to me." she pleaded.

There was a brief silence before Vince's eyes reluctantly met hers. "There is a warrant out for Jonathan's arrest." he informed her.

"A warrant? What the hell for?"

Stephanie's big eyes looked at her father panicked. Surely he hadn't gone to the police. She'd made it clear on no uncertain terms that she didn't want them involved. She didn't want Jonathan charged with abusing her. With the contacts he had, he would only get away with it and come after her later and there was no doubt in her mind that when he found her, he would finish off what he started. Jonathan would actually kill her.

"He's being charged with extortion and embezzling funds from the company."

Stephanie's alarm turned to bewilderment as she stared at her father, confused. "Embezzlement?"

Vince nodded.

"And is it true?"

His eyes dropped reluctant once more to give her an answer but Stephanie pressed the issue, needing an explanation. She needed to know the truth.

"Dad!"

"It's the only way Steph. It's the only thing I can do to protect you." Vince replied as he raised his head to look at her. His brown eyes held his apology and right there and then she got her answer. She knew her father had made up the charges and standing there, she wasn't sure how she felt about that. On one hand she was sad that he'd had to lie for her. Her father prided himself on his honesty yet he'd put that honesty on the line for her. He was jeopardising his integrity and his reputation all to get back at her husband. Still, she was grateful to him. Vince was offering her a chance to finally be free; a chance to live her life without the constant fear of Jonathan coming after her. She was pretty certain if the charges stuck, he would be sent to prison. The thought of that animal behind bars felt extremely gratifying to her.

"They'll probably have to look into everything." Vince explained, lifting Stephanie from her thoughts. "Bank accounts. Purchases he made."

"Does that mean the house?" she asked.

"Probably. I'm sorry."

Stephanie shook her head, showing she understood. The house meant nothing in the scheme of things and the truth is that's all it was. A house. Bricks and mortar. She had no emotional ties to the place any more. It had stopped resembling anything like her home a long time ago. Probably from the moment Jonathan had first put his hands on her and treated her like a human punching bag.

"But the charges you made. They will stick, right?"

Vince nodded. "I have it on good authority they will."

She rolled her lips together hoping that the authority in question knew what the hell they were talking about. Because these charges simply had to stick. There was no other choice. Not now they had gone down this road. Jonathan would be absolutely furious and in her mind that only made him so much more dangerous. Because he would know that without a shadow of a doubt that her family were behind this. He wasn't stupid. He knew how it worked. He had been involved with the McMahons long enough to know there was no way Vince would stand for any man laying a finger on his baby girl without using every penny and every resource he had to make sure that person paid dearly. And boy was Vince making Jonathan pay.

"So the house, huh?" Stephanie sighed softly as she lifted her hand, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "I should probably go back there and collect the rest of my things. I don't want some stranger rifling through them when they search the place."

"Are you sure that's such a good idea honey?" asked Vince, concerned. "What if Jonathan's there when you go? You can't risk it surely."

"I'll be okay. Paul will go with me." she told him as she touched his shoulder, gently squeezing it and reassuring him. "Won't you, Paul?"

Her tone was firm and Stephanie's blue eyes looked at him sternly as she turned her head. Paul offered her a nod, showing he agreed and understood before lowering his gaze to the floor.

"But Steph…"

Vince's protest was interrupted by a knock on the door. Pat Patterson's head quickly followed as it popped round the panelled wood.

"Sorry to interrupt you guys but Show just called. His mother is sick. She's in a pretty bad way and he's had to get the next flight out of here."

"But he's wrestling Paul tonight and we've got that promo too." panicked Shane.

Vince let out a groan of frustration and his brow furrowed, etched with mild panic. It was only a short while till the show went on air and Stephanie could already sense the wheels turning in his head mentally rescheduling everything they had originally planned. She rubbed his arm affectionately as she leaned forward, dropping a kiss on his cheek reassuring him that everything was fine; that she was fine and despite her personal problems, the show had to go on.

"Go on. Get out of here." she smiled.

"We'll talk later." he promised as he walked towards the door.

"Dad, wait up." Shane called out as he followed out after him.

Stephanie let out a calming breath as the door clicked shut behind them. She still felt like she was reeling from the revelation about Jonathan and needed a moment or two to gather her thoughts. But that was hard to do when she was standing less than five feet away from the guy who had kissed her this afternoon. The same guy who had agreed to go with her back to that house.

"Sorry for volunteering your services." Stephanie said as she turned to Paul, lifting her shoulder in an apologetic shrug while her blue eyes settled on his. "But I don't exactly relish the prospect of going back to that place alone."

"Good because I don't want you there alone anyways." he replied wearing a stern look on his face.

Stephanie knew what he was thinking. He was thinking about the night he had turned up and found her lying unconscious on the floor. What Jonathan did to her still haunted him. Paul knew it still haunted her too especially now she would be returning to the scene of the crime so to speak. And he was worried about her. She could tell. Paul's deep brown eyes were filled with concern as he watched her and his teeth pulled on his bottom lip. The same lip that belonged to the mouth that had sought out hers in the dressing room a mere few hours before. Paul had kissed her and that kiss had turned her whole world upside down. As if deciding to divorce your husband and finding out he was being arrested wasn't enough in one day. No she had to go the whole hog and let Paul completely confuse her too. And she was confused. And scared. And every other description she could think of. In fact her mind was buzzing trying to make sense of it all. That's why she needed to talk to Paul. She needed to know what he was thinking. Maybe then she could try and work out what she was thinking too. God knows she needed all the help she could get as far as her thoughts were concerned.

Sighing softly, Stephanie raked her hand through her hair and decided to bite the bullet and just broach the subject. After all they were adults. Surely they could handle this like one.

"Well the way I figure it being at the house is the least you owe me after kissing me then running off like that."

Stephanie lifted her chin as her blue eyes stared at him deliberately. Paul dropped his head looking away. Stephanie let out a puff of frustration. Avoidance was obviously the guy's best tactic but unfortunately for him, she wasn't letting him get away with it. She was forcing the issue whether he liked it or not.

"So are we going to talk about it?" she asked.

Paul let out a nervous chuckle as he smoothed his big hand over his head. "Actually I was hoping we could conveniently just forget about it."

"Yeah well no such luck." she retorted.

He rolled his eyes wondering why he was even surprised. He knew Stephanie. He knew she didn't let things lie. That was probably the reason why he had been avoiding her in the first place because he knew she would want to discuss it. The problem was he didn't. He couldn't talk about it because if he did talk, he might just be forced to tell her the reasons why he kissed her. And that couldn't happen. Not today. In fact if he had his way, it wouldn't happen at all. See the truth was Stephanie wasn't ready for his love. He'd even faced the fact that she might never be ready and he was okay with that. He really was and he wouldn't have her feeling guilty over his unrequited feelings. She didn't deserve that and more than that, he just wouldn't risk their friendship. It was far too important to him. Stephanie meant everything to him. Maybe too much if he was being honest.

"So?"

"So?" he repeated trying his best to stall what seemed to be the inevitable. He leant back from her a little as his brown eyes stared back at her almost defensively.

"You don't have to look so terrified you know. I'm not going to bite your head off or something." she smiled making his heart skip a beat.

"Yeah well maybe you should."

"Paul."

His name fell softly from her lips as she chuckled, lightly scolding him and in that moment, Paul realised it sounded different, more intimate. Stephanie was the only one that said his name that way. God, she was beautiful. Incredible actually. And unable to stop himself Paul's hand reached for hers, his fingers lightly gripping her slender digits. The expression in his eyes mirrored his apologetic smile as he looked at her.

"I'm sorry Steph." he told her.

"Sorry for what?"

"For kissing you. I know I shouldn't have but there was a moment between us, right? A moment where I stupidly acted on impulse and I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry."

"You said that already." she teased.

"And I'll keep saying it until you believe me. You have to believe me, Steph."

Paul's handsome face was stern. His brown orbs were practically pleading with her to forgive him. To believe that he wouldn't kiss her again. And he wouldn't. He'd make sure of it. He simply couldn't take the risk.

"So an impulse, huh?" Stephanie began lightly chewing on the corner of her mouth observing him carefully for a moment before continuing. "For a minute there I thought you were going to tell me the kiss was a mistake."

"Yeah?" Paul replied with a breath that sounded suspiciously like a nervous chuckle.

Stephanie nodded and waited with baited breath for his reply because suddenly it felt extremely important to her. She didn't know why. It just did because for some reason she didn't want Paul regretting kissing her. She didn't want him labelling it as a mistake. Because in spite of everything, in spite of her fear and her confusion, she knew she didn't regret it one bit. And what that meant, she wasn't exactly sure. She just knew that was how she felt.

"Well maybe I should." Paul replied eventually, his brown eyes settling on hers and in turn unsettling Stephanie.

"Maybe." she countered back.

"Is that what you want?"

Stephanie lifted her left shoulder in a shrug feeling her heart pound loudly in her chest as a tension descended between them. A tension that made her oddly giddy yet absolutely terrified at the same time. "Only if it's the truth." she said.

And she meant it. No matter what she wanted the truth. Stephanie needed it. The only problem was Paul wasn't so forthcoming with his honesty. His prolonged silences were making her edgy and extremely impatient.

"So is it the truth?" she asked, prompting the conversation yet again.

Paul looked at her almost shyly as he finally shook his head. "No." he confessed.

That single word made her breath hitch in her throat. Stephanie let out a calming breath desperate to keep her composure. "Then tell me what is."

Paul shook his head once more. "I don't think that's such a good idea, do you?"

"Please Paul. I need to know."

"Need to know what?" he sighed. "I mean do you really need to know that I wanted to kiss you today and that actually I've been wanting to kiss you for a long time now."

"How long?" Stephanie whispered.

"Long enough."

Paul let out a heavy sigh as he rubbed his hands over his face before throwing his arms in the air in despair.

"Look I don't know what to say. But this is totally my issue, okay? I know that. I'm just sorry that I let my feelings for you get the better of me."

"So you do have feelings for me?"

"Jesus Christ, Steph!" Paul protested as his hands smoothed over his hair, resting them there for a moment as he stepped back from her. Stephanie's relentless questioning was frustrating the hell out of him. He wasn't exactly sure what baring his soul was going to achieve other than embarrass the hell out of him.

"Do I need to spell it out?" he asked as his arms fell back to his side. "I mean isn't this awkward enough already without hashing out every single detail?"

"I'm sorry. It's just…."

Stephanie stopped mid-sentence struggling to find her voice. She was still trying to process the fact that Paul had feelings for her. Feelings that apparently weren't all that new to him. Well they were new to her. Or maybe they weren't that new after all because if she was being honest with herself, she had felt something between them for a while now. Things were shifting between them. It was subtle but the signs were there. Shane had seen it. Apparently her father had seen it too. And then there was the way Paul looked at her. It was much like the way he was looking at her now. His eyes were shining with such emotion that she wondered why she had never seen it before. It was so obvious now she knew the truth but she had just been too scared to open herself up to the possibility of Paul falling for her. It was such a huge gamble after everything she had been through. But if that was the case why was she standing here now feeling completely torn. Part of her was so desperate to reach out to him. The other part wanted to run away from this as far as possible.

"I'm confused Paul." she cried as she pressed her hand to her forehead. "My head is spinning with all of this. I just think if we can talk about this, if I can understand where you're coming from, well it might help me figure this out a little better that's all. Okay?"

"Okay." Paul nodded, agreeing to her request. He figured he owed her that much at least. After all he was the one that had caused this. He was the one who had let his emotions get out of hand and in turn caused Stephanie a lot of visible distress. Fuck, why had he been so stupid? He had known this was going to happen. He knew how fragile Stephanie was but he still had to go and kiss her. He made the mistake of letting his heart rule his head. Well it was a mistake he would make sure he never made again.

"Aren't you going to say anything?"

"God woman, do you have to be so pushy!" Paul retorted as he watched her stand there in front of him, her hands on her hips as she watched him expectantly.

"Paul." she scolded but her eyes twinkled with her smile as she playfully swatted at him.

"Okay. Okay, I'll talk." he joked as he held his hands up in the air in front of him. But Paul's smile disappeared and his expression was serious as his brown eyes sought out hers. He licked his lips for a moment almost like he was pondering over his words but the truth was he was simply looking at her, admiring her, captivated by her beauty. It was a beauty that left him breathless every time.

"So, here's the thing. I care about you. You know that." he admitted in a gentle voice. "But this past while, I don't know. I guess my caring about you has turned into something else. Something that's just completely snuck up on me because see I've got these feelings for you, Steph. Feelings that aren't exactly friendly if I'm being totally honest."

He paused for a moment, looking at her wondering what she thought about that. Would his admission make things awkward between them? God he hoped not because above all else he was her friend and her shoulder. And Stephanie needed a friend. She needed him. Kissing her had been extremely selfish on his part. Well he wouldn't put her in that position again and he needed her to know that. He needed Stephanie to understand that she came first.

"Look, I know that what I feel for you is completely one-sided and I'm okay with that." he told her. "I really am because you're my friend Steph and I would never jeopardise that. Ever. So I've tried to control it. In fact I've been controlling it and I've been doing okay. I really have. Of course that was right up until the part where I kissed you."

He chuckled nervously as his feet shuffled in front of him and he cleared his throat awkwardly.

"But I can promise you, on my life, it won't happen again."

"No?"

"No." he stressed hoping desperately that Stephanie believed him even if he wasn't so sure he believed himself. Because the truth was him wanting to kiss Stephanie had become second nature to him. Sort of like breathing if he was honest. It was a natural instinct requiring no effort on his part at all. It just happened. It was simply there.

"But what if I wanted it to happen?" Stephanie asked.

Paul's mouth parted completely taken aback by that question. He stared at Stephanie strangely not quite sure what she meant. Or maybe he didn't dare to believe that she was actually saying what he wanted to hear. "I don't understand. What are you saying here?"

"I don't know." she sighed and her pretty face crumpled with her confusion as she looked at him. It took every bone in Paul's body not to reach for her and pull her to him.

"All I know is that I care about you Paul and I'm not so sure it's exactly in a friendly way either. But I'm scared."

He nodded. "I know."

"In fact scratch that. I'm fucking terrified. I just don't think I'm ready for this." she cried, panicked.

Her big blue eyes were wide as they stared up at him. Stephanie looked so open and vulnerable and this time he couldn't resist reaching for her. Paul's hands rested on her shoulders, lightly squeezing them, trying his best to reassure her because he understood her fear. He'd been hurt before and he knew how scary it was to take that leap of faith and trust in somebody. Because you couldn't truly know that someone wouldn't hurt you all over again. Not really. And in Stephanie's case that rang even more true because she had trusted Jonathan once. She had loved him. In turn he had almost beaten her to death.

"Steph, I understand. I do." he said, smiling at her softly as he reached for the loose strands of hair that fell across her eye. He pushed them back with his fingers and as he tenderly tucked them behind her ear, Stephanie let out a shaky breath. Her timid smile made his heart melt.

"You don't have to explain anything to me because no matter what, I'm here for you. I always will be." Paul told her.

"I know you will." she smiled, reaching for him as she cupped his face in her hand. She would never question Paul's loyalty. She trusted him implicitly. She just wished she could trust her feelings for him. And she did have feelings for him. Deep down Stephanie knew that. She cared for Paul a lot. Maybe even more than she realised. She just didn't know if she could deal with that right now especially when there was every danger that any feelings she had for him could send her running in the opposite direction. She was so scared of loving him. That's why she had to take her time to figure this out. To get her head straight. It was only fair to herself and it was only fair to Paul. God knows she owed him that much at least.

"After everything you've done for me, how can I ever doubt you'll be there." she told him softly. "And that's why when I am ready…."

She paused trying to find the courage to say what she wanted to say. To make that commitment to him. To offer Paul a little hope that any love he felt for her wasn't as hopeless as he might think. Because he was a wonderful man and if there was a chance that she could ever love somebody again, there was no doubt in her mind or her heart that Paul would be that person for her. No one else would even come close.

"Well when I'm ready, you'll be the first person I come to. I promise."

Paul smiled feeling more than satisfied with that answer because it was more than he had ever hoped for given the circumstances. And the harsh reality was he would wait forever and a day for Stephanie. It was pathetic but true. She was his heart now and it would never belong to anyone else. How could it with the way the felt about her.

He loved her that much and if there was even the remote chance that Stephanie could love him back, then he was going to grab that chance with both hands.

"I'm going to hold you to that." Paul smiled softly as he pulled Stephanie to him and simply held her close.


End file.
